Federal
The Government of Canada announced the following measures:
Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy
The bill that creates the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS),
COVID-19 Emergency Response Act, No. 2, received Royal
Assent on April 11, bringing the CEWS into law. Key points are:
- The CEWS would subsidize 75% of the
first $58,700 paid to employees, up to a maximum subsidy of $847
per week, per employee.
- The program will be in place for a
12-week period, from March 15 to June 6, 2020.
- Employers of all sizes will be
eligible, other than the public sector.
- All employers are expected to at
least make best efforts to bring employees' wages to their
pre-crisis levels.
- To be eligible, the employer's
revenues for March must be 15% lower, or 30% lower in April and May
as compared to the same month of 2019, or the average revenue in
January and February of 2020.
