COVID-19: Alberta Economic Support Programs - Employment and Workforce Wellbeing

Manitoba declared a State of Emergency on March 20, 2020 under the Emergency Measures Act.

Tax Payment Filing Extension
DESCRIPTION	On March 22, 2020, the Government of Manitoba announced that the tax filing deadlines for business impacted by COVID-19 would be extended by two months. Businesses will have up to two additional months to remit retail sales taxes and payroll taxes.
ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY	Small and medium-sized businesses with monthly remittances of no more than $10,000.
LINKS	See the Government of Manitoba's news release here.

Tax Payment Filing Extension

DESCRIPTION

On March 22, 2020, the Government of Manitoba announced that the tax filing deadlines for business impacted by COVID-19 would be extended by two months.

Businesses will have up to two additional months to remit retail sales taxes and payroll taxes.

ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY

Small and medium-sized businesses with monthly remittances of no more than $10,000.

LINKS

See the Government of Manitoba's news release here.

Temporary Exception To Employment Standards Layoff Rules
DESCRIPTION	On March 27, 2020, the Finance Minister announced that it is adding a temporary exception to the employment standards regulations in order to provide flexibility to employers to recall employees once work picks up again. Any period of layoff occurring after March 1, 2020, will not be counted toward the period after which a temporary layoff would become a permanent termination, requiring employers to provide pay in lieu of notice.
LINKS	See the Government of Manitoba's news release here.

Temporary Exception To Employment Standards Layoff Rules

DESCRIPTION

On March 27, 2020, the Finance Minister announced that it is adding a temporary exception to the employment standards regulations in order to provide flexibility to employers to recall employees once work picks up again.

Any period of layoff occurring after March 1, 2020, will not be counted toward the period after which a temporary layoff would become a permanent termination, requiring employers to provide pay in lieu of notice.

LINKS

See the Government of Manitoba's news release here.

Postponement of Eviction Hearings
DESCRIPTION	The Manitoba Residential Tenancies Branch (RTB) and Residential Tenancies Commission (RTC) will postpone hearings for non-urgent matters to halt evictions. All scheduled RTB and RTC hearings will be delayed, with certain exceptions to deal with urgent issues that involve the health and safety of tenants. The measures to suspend non-urgent eviction hearings will be in place until May 31, 2020. This timeline will be monitored by the province to determine if additional adjustments are required.
ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY	Tenants may continue to reach out to the RTB to resolve urgent situations regarding involving the health and safety of landlords and tenants. This could include landlords illegally shutting off utilities, locking tenants out of a rental unit, or situations where a tenant is conducting illegal activities from their rental unit.
LINKS	See the Government of Manitoba's news release dated march 24, 2020 here.

Postponement of Eviction Hearings

DESCRIPTION

The Manitoba Residential Tenancies Branch (RTB) and Residential Tenancies Commission (RTC) will postpone hearings for non-urgent matters to halt evictions. All scheduled RTB and RTC hearings will be delayed, with certain exceptions to deal with urgent issues that involve the health and safety of tenants.

The measures to suspend non-urgent eviction hearings will be in place until May 31, 2020. This timeline will be monitored by the province to determine if additional adjustments are required.

ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY

Tenants may continue to reach out to the RTB to resolve urgent situations regarding involving the health and safety of landlords and tenants. This could include landlords illegally shutting off utilities, locking tenants out of a rental unit, or situations where a tenant is conducting illegal activities from their rental unit.

LINKS

See the Government of Manitoba's news release dated march 24, 2020 here.

Freezes on Rent Increases
DESCRIPTION	The province has suspended any rent increases scheduled to take effect on April 1, 2020 or later and is postponing all non-urgent eviction hearings.
LINKS	See the Government of Manitoba's news release dated march 24, 2020 here.

Childcare for Essential Workers
DESCRIPTION	The province is investing $27.6 million to help provide child care to essential front-line workers who are supporting the province's COVID-19 response. The funding will be distributed in a number of ways:
ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY	Eligible early childhood educators can apply to receive a grant of up to $3,000 to provide care to children at their homes or at other appropriate spaces. The grants can be used to purchase supplies for meeting health and safety requirements, such as a fire extinguisher or first aid kits, or to undertake minor upgrades to physical spaces or to provide quality learning and care items such as high chairs, mats or books.
LINKS	See the Government of Manitoba's news release dated March 20, 2020 here and the application page here

Suspended student loan repayment
DESCRIPTION	The province is suspending repayment of Manitoba Student Aid loans for six months. Manitoba Student Loans remain interest free.
ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY	Students do not need to apply for the repayment pause. During the deferral period, the program will accept payments from borrowers who choose to continue repaying loans.
LINKS	See the Government of Manitoba's news release dated April 7, 2020 here

Paid administrative leave for Healthcare staff
DESCRIPTION	The Manitoba government will now compensate health-care workers who are required to self-isolate for 14 days due to possible exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace
ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY	The Manitoba government will provide health-care staff paid administrative leave for the full 14-day period of asymptomatic self-isolation. Should a worker become symptomatic during self-isolation, the individual will be compensated by sick leave benefits, pursuant to their collective agreement
LINKS	See the Government of Manitoba's news release dated April 14, 2020 here

Workers Compensation Board Surplus Return and additional supports
DESCRIPTION	On April 21, 2020, the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba announced that it is returning a $37-million surplus to eligible employers in the province to provide financial relief The Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba will also defer premium payments until the end of May, not charge business interest and/or penalties for non-payment until October, extend the payroll-reporting deadline until the end of May and ensure that coverage remains active for accounts that choose to defer payments until the end of October.
ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY	In May, eligible employers will receive a credit to their account based on 20 per cent of their 2019 premium. To be eligible to receive the surplus, employers must have fulfilled their payroll reporting responsibilities for 2019 and paid a WCB premium in 2019. Employers can still report their 2019 payroll to receive the surplus distribution.
LINKS	See the Government of Manitoba's news release dated April 21, 2020 here

Support for small and medium sized business
DESCRIPTION	On April 22, 2020, the Government of Manitoba announced it wil provide up to $120 million to support Manitoba's small and medium-sized businesses that are facing significant challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the Manitoba Gap Protection Program (MGPP) the province will advance each eligible business a non-interest bearing forgivable loan of $6,000. The loan will be forgiven on Dec. 31, 2020, if the recipient attests at that time the business has not received any major non-repayable COVID-19 federal supports such as the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and the Canada Emergency Business Account, as well as sector-specific grant federal programs specifically developed in response to the pandemic. If the applicant has received benefits under a federal COVID program, then the loan will be added to the recipient's 2020 tax bill.
ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY	To be eligible for the MGPP funding, a business must: have been operational on March 20, 2020, the date the Manitoba government declared a province wide state of emergency; have temporarily ceased/curtailed operations as a result of a COVID-19 public health order and have been harmed by the health order; be registered and in good standing with the Manitoba Business and Corporate Registry; have not qualified for federal government COVID-19 grant support; and have an email address and a bank account.
LINKS	See the Government of Manitoba's news release dated April 22, 2020 here

Support for small and medium sized business

DESCRIPTION

On April 22, 2020, the Government of Manitoba announced it wil provide up to $120 million to support Manitoba's small and medium-sized businesses that are facing significant challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through the Manitoba Gap Protection Program (MGPP) the province will advance each eligible business a non-interest bearing forgivable loan of $6,000. The loan will be forgiven on Dec. 31, 2020, if the recipient attests at that time the business has not received any major non-repayable COVID-19 federal supports such as the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and the Canada Emergency Business Account, as well as sector-specific grant federal programs specifically developed in response to the pandemic. If the applicant has received benefits under a federal COVID program, then the loan will be added to the recipient's 2020 tax bill.

ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for the MGPP funding, a business must:

have been operational on March 20, 2020, the date the Manitoba government declared a province wide state of emergency;
have temporarily ceased/curtailed operations as a result of a COVID-19 public health order and have been harmed by the health order;
be registered and in good standing with the Manitoba Business and Corporate Registry;
have not qualified for federal government COVID-19 grant support; and

have an email address and a bank account.

LINKS

See the Government of Manitoba's news release dated April 22, 2020 here

Manitoba Public Insurance Rebates
DESCRIPTION	On April 23, 2020, the Government of Manitoba announced that Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) is returning up to $110 million to provide financial relief to its policyholders.
ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY	Rebates cheques will be provided at the end of May to early June and will be based on what policyholders paid last year and expected to be around 11 per cent, or between $140 to $160, per average policyholder.
LINKS	See the Government of Manitoba's news release dated April 23, 2020 here

Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) to be treated as income for Employment and Income Assistance (EIA)
DESCRIPTION	On April 24, 2020, the Government of Manitoba announced it that the federal CERB benefit will be treated as earned income under EIA. As a result, EIA clients who receive the CERB benefit will receive more than they would on EIA alone. Families will also be able to keep the increased Canada Child Benefit and GST rebate without any impact to their EIA benefits
ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY	The province will work with clients to help them navigate the federal process and explain how it will affect their EIA benefits. This will include helping them resume receiving support from EIA once the CERB benefits end.
LINKS	See the Government of Manitoba's news release dated April 24, 2020 here

Summer Student Recovery Plan
DESCRIPTION	On April 24, 2020, the Government of Manitoba announced the Summer Student Recovery Plan to provide wage subsidies to support high school and post-secondary students employed in the private and non-profit sectors. Up to $120 million is available for employers to access a $7 per hour wage subsidy, up to a maximum of $5,000 per student.
ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY	The program is open to Manitoba students aged 15 to 29, with an employment period from May 1 to September 4. Employers can be subsidized to hire up to five students. Reimbursement will be provided at the end of the employment period, upon proof of payment of student wages. Employers must place students in jobs that can be accommodated under current public health orders and be able to adapt to recommendations provided by public health officials over the summer. For the first two weeks of the program, priority will be given to employers who do not qualify for the various federal government assistance programs.
LINKS	See the Government of Manitoba's news release dated April 24, 2020 here

Summer Student Recovery Plan

DESCRIPTION

On April 24, 2020, the Government of Manitoba announced the Summer Student Recovery Plan to provide wage subsidies to support high school and post-secondary students employed in the private and non-profit sectors.

Up to $120 million is available for employers to access a $7 per hour wage subsidy, up to a maximum of $5,000 per student.

ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY

The program is open to Manitoba students aged 15 to 29, with an employment period from May 1 to September 4.

Employers can be subsidized to hire up to five students. Reimbursement will be provided at the end of the employment period, upon proof of payment of student wages.

Employers must place students in jobs that can be accommodated under current public health orders and be able to adapt to recommendations provided by public health officials over the summer.

For the first two weeks of the program, priority will be given to employers who do not qualify for the various federal government assistance programs.

LINKS

See the Government of Manitoba's news release dated April 24, 2020 here

Read the original article on GowlingWLG.com

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Canada: COVID-19: Alberta Economic Support Programs

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