Pragmatic, effective strategies to help your business navigate the COVID-19 crisis - Day 91: After The Wage Subsidy Runs Dry

This is a crucial time for business leaders to navigate carefully. Throughout this five-part series, we will provide you with current information, practical suggestions and helpful resources to keep your business on a safe pathway through disruption — and position it for accelerated success when the coronavirus crisis has passed.

1. Stretch cash flow
2. Preserve your workforce
3. Reinforce revenue
4. Demonstrate strong leadership
5. Day 181: After The Wage Subsidy Runs Dry

Day 181: After the Wage Subsidy Runs Dry

The Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) has been the single largest legislation the government of Canada has ever passed and has been a useful relief for many business owners (and employees) across the country since March 2020. As September 1 fast approaches and the preliminary period of the CEWS closes out at day 181, business owners will need to explore additional government programs to subsidize them through the duration of this unprecedented pandemic. The question is: what is your mid- and long-term plan to ensure your business is
resilient?

The two largest programs available for Canadian businesses currently are:

CEWS

The government of Canada has left this legislation open to amendments. When legislation was passed, the subsidy was originally scheduled to have three-month coverage, starting on March 15, 2020, and concluding on September 1, 2020. Since inception, the government has placed an additional qualifying period into the legislation, leaving the program with an uncertain future.

Qualifying Periods

1. The period that begins on March 15, 2020 and ends on April 11, 2020;
2. The period that begins on April 12, 2020 and ends on May 9, 2020;
3. The period that begins

Work-Sharing

We’ve been hit with the one of the largest global crises since WWII – if given the option to take out the largest insurance policy possible to weather the storm, it would be prudent of business owners to do this. This insurance policy is Work-Share. Work-Share provides business owners with 76 weeks of relief, and more importantly, 76 weeks of piece of mind for the employees knowing that they have job security and a paycheck to provide for their families working 3 days a week. The impact that this will have on productivity, employee engagement, quality and

Below, there is an earnings scenario for employees, and the costs associated. Keep in mind, in this scenario, the employee will be working 3 days a week.

The Strategic Competitive Advantage of Work-Share

During this turbulent period, it is time to think about the well being and financial security of the employees that drive this economy. It is time for employers to take a little bit of a hit on their own bottom line to focus on not only the retention of their employees but the attraction of new talent once this pandemic has run its course. When employers do right by their employees and provide this sense of security and stable work environment, businesses will be able to make a seamless transition back to normal capacity once work restrictions have been lifted.

Competitive Advantages:

• No layoffs
• Employees have piece of mind for a longer period of time
• Maintaining quality of work / products
• Partial work weeks, but paid a wage each day
• Retain quality employees
• Attract new talent
• Doing the right thing

Without this security, employees will be laid off, searching for work and left with a general feeling of distrust towards the employer. This is not what employers want; it will impact your company and performance because of low employee engagement.

A Call to Action

Be proactive and submit your work-share application now. The state of the world is putting pressure on businesses and individuals to survive and live in the present, but we need to plan in order to be effective as this pandemic continues to impact our lives.

Planning during crisis is essential. It is easy to get caught up in the present. But we can still plan for the duration of this crisis, this will lead to success for your business and the employees that work for you. Use this crisis as an opportunity to become the best leaders, best colleagues and best employees — we all need to do our part to defeat COVID-19 and the battle that it is waging on our lives.

Now is the time to act on this. MNP is here to guide Canadian businesses through these challenges so businesses and employees can come out on the other side of this crisis intact.

Yohaan Thommy, PMP, LSSBB, Partner & National Performance Improvement Leader

Yohaan has a unique understanding of what is takes to implement recommendations and turn them
into measurable financial improvements. Yohaan also has a understanding of what grants may apply to companies that are struggling through the COVID-19 crisis and is closely following various programs. As a value added through this time, his team is providing strategic advice and scenario analysis to companies which are contemplating which grants to apply for.

Click here to find out which grants you can apply to. He has used some of these grants through
the 2008 / 2009 financial crisis and can properly structure the grants to work efficiently for your
organization. Its not a one size fits all.

You can reach him at [email protected] or 905.220.3211

Stephen Chandler, Manager, Consulting & Advisory

With over fifteen years of Project Management and advisory experience in both the private and public sectors, Stephen has established himself as a trusted advisor to C-Suites of publicly traded companies to Flag Officers of Allied Militaries.

You can reach Stephen at [email protected] or 647.475.8371