Previously, the federal government announced a wage subsidy of
up to 10 percent for small businesses, up to a maximum of $1,375
per worker and $25,000 per employer. On Friday, March 27, 2020, the
federal government announced that the wage subsidy is being
increased to 75 percent, with additional details to be released by
April 1.
On March 30, 2020, Prime Minister Trudeau further announced that
the subsidy will apply to any business that has experienced a
revenue decrease of at least 30 percent due to the COVID-19
pandemic, regardless of the number of employees or business size.
In addition, the coverage at 75 percent will be available on the
first $58,700 of an employee's wages, which amounts to $847 per
week. The availability of the wage subsidy will be back-dated to
March 15, 2020.