Jason and Jennifer Heath have been collaborating since the 80s. As young siblings, they staged plays in their parents’ basement. As they grew up, their paths diverged. He earned a degree in economics and pursued a career in personal finance and journalism. She went to law school and worked as an employment lawyer for 10 years before opening her own employment law firm with Patrizia Piccolo.
Although Jason and Jennifer have assisted one another’s clients in the past, COVID-19 has caused their distinct areas of expertise to overlap more than ever. Jason has been advising small businesses and entrepreneurs about applying for Small Business Relief and how to structure their personal finances during the pandemic. Jennifer has been working with employers to reduce their workforce temporarily, and apply for payroll relief through supplementary unemployment benefit plans and the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy.
These siblings shared the financial and legal perspectives with employers about the best use of government benefits during the COVID-19 crisis. Patrizia Piccolo moderated a live webinar on April 23, 2020 at 12:30 pm, during which Jason and Jennifer addressed:
1. The Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA)
Benefits and drawbacks of accessing the loan
How to apply and comply
How to use the loan effectively
2. The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS)
How to calculate the loss in revenue
How it interacts with employee benefits, like Employment Insurance (EI) and the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)
How it interacts with other programs, like the Supplementary Unemployment Benefits (SUB) Plans and Work-sharing
Avoiding the anti-avoidance penalties
3. Other practical options for reducing payroll-related and other costs
The Temporary Wage Subsidy (TWS)
Voluntary Salary Reductions
Temporary Layoffs
Planning Strategies for Owner-Managers and Small Businesses
We offered a complimentary live-stream of this event via Zoom. If you have any questions on the topics that were discussed, please contact us!