Premier Scott Moe announced Friday the government will be implementing a financial support program to support businesses and employees.
“Our government’s goal was to dovetail with the federal government’s very comprehensive financial support plan announced earlier this week,” Moe said.
“Our plan is to support businesses and to support employees. Most importantly, it supports the opportunity to come back to work when we emerge from the COVID-19 crisis,” he added.
Moe announced the financial support plan that outlines a number of mechanisms for reducing costs for businesses and individuals, provides support to self-employed individuals not covered by new federal support measures, and establishes a Business Response Team designated to support Saskatchewan businesses during this time of uncertainty.
One provision is a self-isolation program which will provide $450 per week for a maximum of two weeks. The program is targeted at Saskatchewan residents forced to self-isolate that are not covered by recent federally announced support.
A three-month PST remittance deferral and audit suspension will also take place. Effective immediately, Saskatchewan businesses who are unable to remit their PST due to cashflow concerns will have relief from penalty and interest charges. Over the course of these three-months; government estimates a potential deferral of up to $750 million in PST collections.
Also, effective immediately is a six-month student loan repayment moratorium mirroring a similar federal provision. This provides individuals with student loan immediate relief, and will cost the provincial government $4 million.
The province has also made changes to employment standard regulations that include ensuring during a public emergency, businesses will not have to provide notice or pay in lieu of notice when they layoff staff if it is for a period of 12 weeks or less in a 16-week period.
If an employer lays off employees periodically for a total of more than 12 weeks in a 16-week period, the employees are considered to be terminated and are entitled to pay instead of notice.
Moe said these amendments create a balance for employers and employees where the difficulty decision may be made to lay-off employees due to public health emergencies.
Lastly, the Government of Saskatchewan will be establishing a Business Response Team which aims to provide support for Saskatchewan businesses seeking to navigate the uncertain conditions caused by COVID-19.
The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce said the new supports were important and welcome.
“The changes to the layoff notice policy will be a great benefit to both employees and employers," said Steve McLellan, the chamber's CEO, in a media release. “As well as offering some degree of certainty for business, this also allows everyone time to make plans for the future. Employees retain their jobs, it keeps them attached to the business, and allows them easier access to [employment insurance]."
Jordan Stricker is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter based out of the Estevan Mercury.
