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ARTICLE · 04 JUNE 2020

COVID-19 Impact: Recent Legislative Updates Affecting Canadian Employers

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Since March 2020, the Government of Canada has introduced a number of relief programs aimed at supporting Canadian businesses and workers through the COVID-19 pandemic.

CanadaCoronavirus (COVID-19)
Maria Constantine
Maria Constantine
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Since March 2020, the Government of Canada has introduced a number of relief programs aimed at supporting Canadian businesses and workers through the COVID-19 pandemic, including the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). In addition, provincial and territorial governments across the country have expanded the availability of job-protected leaves of absence and modified the rules governing temporary layoffs and group terminations. This article summarizes some important legislative developments relating to these recent governmental relief measures.

1. Extension of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy

As previously reported, the Government of Canada enacted legislation creating the CEWS effective April 11, 2020. The CEWS was originally intended to be available for a 12-week period, retroactive to March 15, 2020 and ending on June 6, 2020. However, on May 15, 2020, the federal government announced that it would be extending

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