COVID-19: CEWS Consultation

Have you applied for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS)? Have you experienced challenges with the program? Do you have recommendations about adjustments? The Department of Finance is looking for feedback to “maximize employment in Canada and encourage growth.”

Your feedback can help inform potential changes to the program. This is a great opportunity for charities to share their unique experiences and challenges as it relates to CEWS.

The CEWS consultation will close June 5.

There is a survey and a series of open-ended questions for more in-depth feedback. Your in-depth feedback can be submitted by email to fin.cews-succ.fin@canada.ca

The eight questions are:

1. Are there specific challenges associated with the CEWS program? For example, are there challenges with respect to its accessibility, its incentive impacts, or any other aspect?
2. What adjustments to the CEWS would you propose to provide the right level of support to those most affected by the pandemic while supporting the economic recovery?
3. Would adding complexity to the CEWS program be acceptable in order to expand access to this support, or better target support to those who need it?
4. To what extent are employers using the CEWS to provide support to furloughed employees as compared to using it as a means to pay active employees? Do employers value maintaining ties with furloughed employees by keeping them on the payroll? Should the level of support for furloughed employees be the same as for active employees?
5. What are the key barriers to rehiring workers recently laid off due to the pandemic? 
6. Are there specific factors that are preventing or discouraging employers from applying for the CEWS?
7. If you are a seasonal business are there any unique challenges you are facing in relation to the CEWS?  
8. How do you foresee the CEWS interacting with the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) over this extended period? Do you have any additional comments about the CERB? 

Ministry workers are invited to share how they are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic within their organization in our online community forum, The Green: COVID-19 Response Room.