Last Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the federal
government's plan to implement the Canada Emergency Wage
Subsidy (CEWS), a 75% wage subsidy for eligible employers, intended
to help employers meet their payroll obligations and avoid employee
layoffs and terminations during the revenue challenges resulting
from COVID-19. The CEWS does not replace the previously announced
10% wage subsidy for eligible employers, including small
businesses, charities and non-profits. The interaction
between these two wage subsidies is discussed below.
Yesterday, additional details of the CEWS were announced, with
more details released last night in the Ministry of
Finance Department's backgrounder. While the full details of
CEWS may not be available until the legislative framework for CEWS
is tabled in Parliament, here is what we know so far:
