The TCOC is committed to keeping our members updated.

Local Resources:

• Public Health information on COVID-19
• Business owners should be taking precautions during this COVID-19 pandemic to protect their customers, employees and themselves. Workplace Information
• Chamber of Commerce Group Insurance COVID-19 Update
• Chatham-Kent Economic Development

Provincial Resources:

• Ontario Chamber of Commerce – COVID-19 PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS TOOLKIT
• Ministry of Finance – Ontario
• Ontario’s Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19 | Ontario.ca

Federal Resources:

• Canadian Business Resilience Network
• Canadian Chamber of Commerce – Pandemic Preparedness Guide for Business
• Government of Canada’s resources for business
• Are you a small business owner who is facing the possibility of having to close your business? The Government of Canada has announced the Emergency Support Benefit to help with the loss of income. Emergency Support Benefit
• Wage subsidy for Businesses
• Ministry of Finance – Canada – Learn more about Canada’s actions to help Canadians and businesses facing hardship as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak
• Additional Support for Canadian Businesses

Rules to CERB.

For those employers who are currently paying the Ontario Health Tax (Employers’ with more than $490,000 payroll).
The exemption from EHT payments has been increased from $490,000 to $1,000,000 for all of 2020.

Further details can be found at https://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/bulletins/eht/eht-exemption-2020.html.

Employees can now earn up to $1,000 per month AND collect CERB. Prior to this, employees were disqualified from CERB if they earned any money during the period covered by CERB.

This new rule:

• Will allow employees to work part time and collect CERB
• May allow employers to top up CERB through a sub plan.

How to calculate the Temporary Wage Subsidy

The savings is taxable income to the employer.

https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/campaigns/covid-19-update/frequently-asked-questions-wage-subsidy-small-businesses.html#h3

Chatham-Kent Economic Development is dedicated to providing local businesses with accurate and timely information.

Chatham-Kent Economic Development has made links available on our website to key business resources related to COVID-19: https://www.chatham-kent.ca/EconomicDevelopment/covid-19-business-resources  

We also urge businesses to monitor the ongoing updates at Chatham-Kent Public Health: https://ckphu.com/2020/01/covid19/

Call to action:  Canadian manufacturers needed to help combat COVID19

https://www.canada.ca/en/services/business/maintaingrowimprovebusiness/manufacturers-needed.html

Important Notice: Business Information Line Open

Ontario to close all non-essential businesses. Stop the Spread Business Information Line Now Open at 1-888-444-3659. Businesses who have questions about closures of at-risk workplaces or how emergency measures impact their business or employment can call the information line.

• Click here to read the Ontario list of essential workplaces
• Click here to read the province of Ontario news release