COVID-19 Business Resources

Pandemic Preparedness Guide for Business

To help businesses prepare for and manage through a potential COVID-19 escalation in Canada, the Canadian Chamber has developed a brief guide source from a number of best practice documents and designed to assist business planning and continuity efforts.

Resources for Business

The Globe and Mail: Employment lawyer Daniel Lublin answers frequently asked questions from workers

Borden, Ladner, Gervais LLP: Employer Strategies for Managing Coronavirus Risks in the Workplace

Calgary Chamber of Commerce: Emergency Preparedness Kit

Canadian Chamber of Commerce: Business Continuity and Recovery Planning Guide

Canadian Chamber of Commerce: Crisis Communications Planning Guide

Canadian Federation of Independent Business: Keeping You and Your Employees Safe

Canadian Franchise Association: COVID-19 Resources

Canadian Payroll Association : Payroll Continuity Best Practice Guidelines

Deloitte: Practical Steps for Pandemic Preparedness

Deloitte: COVID-19: Managing Supply Chain Risk and Disruption

Deloitte: COVID-19: Managing Cash Flow During a Crisis

Deloitte: COVID-19: Practical Workforce Strategies that Put Your People First

Facebook: Business Resource Hub

Fasken: Pandemic Planning for Employers

GardaWorld: COVID-19 Live Updates

Gowling WLG: COVID-19 Resource Hub

Ontario Chamber of Commerce: COVID-19 Pandemic Preparedness Toolkit

Professional Meetings & Conventions Association: Coronavirus FAQ

RDC: COVID-19 Resource Portal

World Health Organization: COVID-19: Business and Employees

KPMG: COVID-19: Leading successfully in turbulent times

The Canadian Payroll Association: Payroll and COVID-19

Co-Chaired by the City of Richmond’s Mayor Malcolm Brodie and the Chair of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce, Fan Chun, the mandate of the Richmond COVID-19 Community Task Force (RCCTF) is to provide a forum for Richmond community stakeholders, including all levels of government, to regularly connect during the COVID-19 pandemic, to share relevant information and explore collaboration opportunities, both within the Task Force and community-at-large.

The objective of the RCCTF is to facilitate dialogue and information sharing within the Richmond community to support residents & businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as: 

1. Assisting with the dissemination of information from health authorities and senior levels of government (combatting misinformation); 
2. Providing stakeholders with the opportunity to share pandemic impacts on their respective organizations/communities and approaches to handling these situations;  
3. Exploring collaboration efforts to better support the community. 

The RCCTF will meet each Monday via teleconference, until the pandemic is resolved, as determined by health authorities.

Meeting Updates

Update from March 23, 2020 RCCTF Meeting

Meeting Minutes

Minutes March 23, 2020 Richmond COVID Community Task Force

The Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP) allows the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and Export Development Canada (EDC) to provide more than $10 billion of additional support.

Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) has resources available including: 

1. Small Business Loan: Up to $100,000 can be obtained online in as little 48 hours from time of approval.
2. Working capital loan: Get extra funds to bridge cash flow gaps and support everyday operations.
3. Purchase Order Financing: Increase your cash flow to fulfill domestic or international orders with very flexible terms.
4. BDC’s Advisory Services experts are offering tools and support to review your financial management and operations.

Capital for Exporters through Export Development Canada

EDC stands ready to support Canadian exporters impacted by COVID-19. The best first step is to call EDC to start the process today 1-800-229-0575.

The Canada Revenue Agency will allow all businesses to defer, until after August 31, 2020:

The payment of any income tax amounts that become owing on or after today (March 18, 2020) and before September 2020. This relief would apply to tax balances due, as well as instalments, under Part I of the Income Tax Act. No interest or penalties will accumulate on these amounts during this period. This measure will result in businesses having more money available during this period.

Work Sharing Program

The Work Sharing Program is to help eligible employers to retain skilled employees and workers to remain employed. Measures taken during COVID-19 will:

• Extend the Work-Sharing agreements by an additional 38 weeks
• Wave the mandatory waiting period between agreements
• Ease the recovery plan requirements

Access the Work-Sharing page to learn more about the program and its requirements.

Access the Work-Sharing temporary special measures page to find out if you are eligible for temporary special measures.

Wage Subsidy

To support businesses and help prevent layoffs, the government is proposing to provide eligible small employers a temporary wage subsidy for a period of three months. The subsidy will be equal to 10% of remuneration paid during that period, up to a maximum subsidy of $1,375 per employee and $25,000 per employer.

• Businesses will be able to benefit immediately from this support by reducing their remittances of income tax withheld on their employees’ remuneration. Employers benefiting from this measure will include corporations eligible for the small business deduction, as well as non-profit organizations and charities.
• To review how the federal government support plan for Canadians and for further details on wage subsidies and emergency support for employees, please click here.

Employment Insurance

Several measures are being taken by Employment and Social Development Canada:(ESDC) to assist employees who have been laid off or are unable to work due to quarantine. These measures include, waiving the one-week waiting period for and priority application processing for related claims. To learn more go to EI sickness benefits.

• If you think you are eligible, visit the EI sickness benefits page to apply.

Emergency Care Benefit (Expected in April, Requires Royal Assent)

The Emergency Care Benefit will be providing up to $900 bi-weekly, for up to 15 weeks. This flat-payment Benefit would be administered through the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and provide income support to:

• Workers, including the self-employed, who are quarantined or sick with COVID-19 but do not qualify for EI sickness benefits
• Workers, including the self-employed, who are taking care of a family member who is sick with COVID-19, such as an elderly parent, but do not quality for EI sickness benefits
• Parents with children who require care or supervision due to school closures, and are unable to earn employment income, irrespective of whether they qualify for EI or not.

Application for the Benefit will be available in April 2020 and require Canadians to attest that they meet the eligibility requirements. There will be three channels to apply for the Benefit:

1. By accessing it on their CRA MyAccount secure portal;
2. By accessing it from their secure My Service Canada Account; or
3. By calling a toll-free number equipped with an automated application process (this number should be available closer to the rollout of this program).

Emergency Support (Available April, Requires Royal Assent)

For Canadians who lose their jobs or face reduced hours as a result of COVID’s impact, the Government is: Introducing an Emergency Support Benefit delivered through the CRA to provide up to $5.0 billion in support to workers who are not eligible for EI and who are facing unemployment. More details for how to access this program should be available closer to its rollout in April.

Enhanced Canada Child Benefit (Available early May, requires Royal Assent)

For those that are eligible for the Child Tax benefit, there will be an additional $300 per child available on top of what is already received.

GST Credit (Available early May, requires Royal Assent)

For individuals that are eligible for GST Credits The credits available will be increased up to $400 for single adults and $600 for couples (more details will be available closer to the rollout date).

Tax Filing Relief

In order to provide greater flexibility to Canadians who may be experiencing hardships during the COVID-19 outbreak, the Canada Revenue Agency will defer the filing due date for the 2019 tax returns of individuals, including certain trusts.

• For individuals, the return filing due date will be deferred until June 1, 2020.  However, the Agency encourages individuals who expect to receive benefits under the GSTC or the Canada Child Benefit not to delay the filing of their return to ensure their entitlements for the 2020-21 benefit year are properly determined.

BC Hydro

The COVID-19 Customer Assistance Program provides customers the option to defer bill payments or arrange for flexible payment plans with no penalty. Customers are encouraged to call BC Hydro’s customer team at 1 800 BCHYDRO (1 800 224 9376) to discuss bill payment options.

Fortis BC

FortisBC will be waiving late payment fees and ensuring no customer is disconnected from the energy they need for financial reasons. They will also be available to help their customers with flexible payment options. To learn more about what FortisBC is doing visit their COVID-19 page or call Fortis at 1-866-436-7847 for electricity and 1-888-224-2710 for natural gas.

Vancity Credit Union

Vancity Credit Union is helping their customers through this difficult time by offering to:

• Provide emergency working capital
• Buy back foreign currency at the same rate it was sold (for customers impacted by travel disruption)
• Waiving INTERAC e-Transfer and ATM fees until April 30^th

Learn more about what they are doing on their website here.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite is offering free access (until July 1^st, 2020) to their Professional Plan to help small businesses and non-profits stay connected to their customers and audiences. To learn more or signup visit their website here.

Uber Eats

The company has created a support package to promote “contactless” delivery from local restaurants, which includes waiving delivery fees, and a daily payout option to assist restaurants with cash flow. 

Daily Hive

The media company will be offering free social advertising to local businesses until April 6th. Who qualifies? Local, small businesses that are still currently open, have an online component (i.e., e-commerce, take-out, gift card, pick-up services), or are now unfortunately closed but have a message of hope to send to their staff, customers, or community.

Other Support

For information on other supports please visit the Government of Canada website.