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Covid-19 Business Help

COVID-19 BUSINESS HELP / ALBERTA PHASE 2 RELAUNCH PLAN

With COVID-19 case numbers rising rapidly, the Province has announced a series of new mandatory and voluntary measures in response.

Click here for more information on current restrictions.

 

Changes to temporary layoffs, group termination and variances

The Government of Alberta has passed the Restoring Balance in Alberta’s Workplaces Act, which includes changes to employment standards rules that are intended to save employers time and money.

Changes to temporary layoffs, group termination and variances took effect August 15. Several other changes to employment standards rules take effect November 1.

Temporary layoffs not related to COVID-19 can now be 90 days total in a 120-day period (temporary layoffs due to COVID-19 can be a maximum of 180 days).

Group termination requirements are being simplified:

  • Employers must give the Minister of Labour and Immigration written notice of at least four weeks if they intend to layoff 50 or more employees at the same location in a four-week period. If employers cannot provide four weeks’ notice, they must provide notice as soon as possible.
  • Employers are no longer required to give employees and unions notice of group termination, but employers must provide individual termination notice to employees.

More flexible rules for Director’s and Ministerial variances and exemptions are now permanently in place:

  • Individual employers, employer groups or associations can now apply for either a Director or Ministerial variance or exemption.
  • Ministerial variances and exemptions no longer have to have an expiry date, and can be renewed.

 

Resources for Employees

Fact sheets are available online to help employers understand the changes. You can also contact Alberta Employment Standards with questions about these changes.

Alberta Employment Standards will be offering free online webinars. The first set of webinars will cover the changes to temporary layoffs, group termination, and variances. Webinars covering employment standards changes taking effect on November 1 will also be available. More information on these webinars will be sent at a later date.

 

Mandatory Face Coverings

Information & Resources

As many of you have heard, the City of Edmonton has implemented a mandatory face covering (mask) bylaw as of August 1. This means that, with few, health related exceptions, everyone in publicly accessible indoor locations must wear a face covering. This includes public facilities, private clubs and businesses, public transit, and ride sharing services (Uber, Lyft, etc.). For more information, please refer to the news release from the City of Edmonton below.

What this new law means for our business members is that if you operate any area that is accessible by the public, it is your responsibility to implement a face covering policy for staff and members of the public. While this bylaw does not include private spaces (office spaces inaccessible to the public), if the business has any areas that are accessible by the public, employees and customers must wear face coverings in those areas.

Looking for masks for yourself or your employees? Here are a few resources:

Not sure what kind of masks you need? Click Here

 

CEWS Extension & Changes Pass

The House of Commons passed the proposed extension to the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program on July 17. With the extension to December 19, 2020 comes changes to the program. For active employees, changes in eligibility will be in place for claim period 5 and subsequent claims. The 30% reduction in revenues is removed. The maximum subsidy is for losses greater than 50%, and amounts to a 60% subsidy for claim periods 5 and 6, 50% for claim period 7, 40% for claim period 8 and 20% for claim period 9. A top-up subsidy is available for businesses with losses of 70% or greater, calculated on a rolling average for previous three months (April, May and June for claim period 5). This subsidy amounts to 25% that will be phased out over subsequent claim periods. Additional changes mean that if an employer receives a better subsidy under the old system than the new system, they can stay on the current program.

For more info visit this link.

 

Guidance for Reopening Stage

For guidance and supports for business owners reopening or resuming operations to help keep workers and customers safe visit here.

 

COVID-19 Supports Guide – May 4th

Courtesy of the North Edge BIA

 

Let’s keep the Beverly community busy!

There are many Beverly businesses that fit the essential business category- whether it’s businesses doing curb side drop off, online services, pick-up & more!

Tag yourselves or your favourite businesses that are staying active & offering alternative solutions!
Visit for more information.

Things That Are Open

liftinteractive has announced the launch of the thingsthatareopen.com website and campaign with you !!

Businesses are struggling, and our goal is to build a central hub where users will find information on local businesses and services that are serving the community throughout the COVID-19 crisis. At ‘Things That Are Open,’ businesses and organizations will communicate the innovative steps they are taking to stay afloat during this crisis.

At this time, we are inviting you to please add your business listing at thingsthatareopen.com. Please include your hi-res images, if available, (no larger than 3000px by 3000px) along with all pertinent information surrounding the changes in your business, updated operational hours, and how you’re connecting with and serving your customers.  

Lift Interactive is managing and promoting the site through a paid media campaign, driving awareness and traffic to the website. This initiative is completely free to businesses and users.  

Amplify the message to your customers by sharing content from the campaign’s Instagram profile to your own social and digital platforms. Please use the attached media kit to add ‘Things That Are Open’ elements to your website, social channels, and newsletter.

 

What’s New

Government of Canada updates can be found at: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan.html

Economic Developers Alberta is conducting COVID-19 Business Impact Survey. To learn more or participate in the survey visit: http://www.edaalberta.ca/

 

City of Edmonton Business COVID/Support now available.

Please check here often. Information will be updated on a regular basis as the situation continues to emerge and more information becomes available.

We encourage you to reach out to your landlords, accountants, banks and business insurance providers as soon as possible, especially if you will be closing your business temporarily.

We know that small businesses have been impacted by COVID-19 and this has been extremely challenging for you.

City of Edmonton related to business impact/COVID is online – It can be found here. 

You can email us with questions at businessinfo@edmonton.ca and we’ll do our best to help.

We might not have the answers right away, but we will work hard to get you answers as soon as we can.

For additional support, Business Link has experts available to consult with by email, phone and live chat. Or, contact the Canadian Federation of Independent Business help centre at 1-888-234-2232.

 

A MESSAGE FROM THE BBA ON COVID-19 TO THE BEVERLY BIA MEMBERSHIP

A message to offer support during the current health crisis. This is a tough time for all businesses in Edmonton. Our 13 member Edmonton BIA council are discussing ways we can support our BIA businesses in Edmonton through this crisis. We are all agreed as a BIA council to lobby on behalf of all the BIA businesses to the City of Edmonton For the following;

  • Advocate for the City of Edmonton to hit pause on all initiatives that impact all BIAs.
  • Advocate for economic relief on paying taxes

The BBA will update information relating to BIA businesses as we receive it from the City of Edmonton.

 

Please see useful COVID 19 Government links:

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