Workers Compensation Relief Measures

To help businesses in the province during the COVID-19 pandemic, Workplace NL is deferring the collection of employer assessment payments and waiving interest charges and penalties until June 30, 2020.

This means that all insured employers will not have to worry about paying assessments until July 2020. The deferral will be applied to all existing payment plans and post-dated cheques. The relief measures are automatic and employers do not need to contact WorkplaceNL. Click here for more information.

Self-Employed Individuals’ Access to Employment Insurance (EI)

The government announced measures that will permit EI access to self-employed individuals. At this time, access is limited to the Emergency Care Benefit.

The benefit provides income support to workers who must stay home and do not have access to paid sick leave and includes:

• Workers, including the self-employed, who are sick, quarantined, or who have been directed to self-isolate 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 or other dependents who are sick, but do not qualify for EI sickness benefits.
• EI-eligible and non EI-eligible working parents who must stay home without pay because of children who are sick or who need additional care because of school closures.

The link to the EI information can be found here.

No information has been provided in respect to regular benefits at this time. Should additional information become available we will advise.

CRA Requirements to Pay (RTP) Relief

CRA has announced the following with respect to current Requirements to Pay arrangements for past due balances owing:

• Effective immediately, the CRA will not be sending any RTPs to employers.
• For RTPs currently in place, remittances are not required until further notice.
• The CRA also requests that any RTPs that you may receive this week not be actioned.

A RTP is one of the methods CRA uses to collect debts from taxpayers who do not voluntarily pay the amounts they owe. Unsure if your company or one of your employees are subject to a requirement to pay? Click here for the link explaining the requirement to pay conditions.

Noseworthy Chapman is committed to continue to service our clients to the best of our ability with minimal disruption as we know having guidance on tax and financial matters is very important to our clients at this time of crisis. Reach out to a member of our service team for assistance, we are here to help.