Learn about changes to government programs and available supports as your business recovers from covid 19.
Featured updates
Learn more about providing employees with up to three days of paid leave because of certain reasons related to COVID-19.
Learn about opening an onsite vaccination clinic if your business is in a hot spot community.
Read our most recent news releases on business and the economy.
Reopening and operating safely
We’ve provided resources to help you understand the requirements and best practices for workplace safety. These actions can help you comply with the rules and keep operating safely.
Workplace safety plan
All businesses that are operating must have a written covid 19 safety plan by law. Find other resources such as posters, tools and sector-specific guidance for Ontario workplaces.
Employer’s responsibilities
Understand employers’ responsibilities regarding safe workplaces, temporary layoffs and leaves of absence due to covid 19. Attend a webinar to learn more.
Region-specific rules
Check the recovery framework and your public health unit website to learn about the restrictions and rules that apply to your region.
PPE suppliers
Access the Workplace PPE Supplier Directory to find supplies for your business.
Testing on-site
Your organization can now conduct rapid testing on-site as an additional screening method that can help stop the spread of covid 19. Free test kits are available through the Provincial Antigen Screening Program, which has expanded to include more essential sectors.
Learn about testing and program eligibilityIn addition, the Ontario government, in partnership with the federal government and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, has launched the covid 19 Rapid Screening Initiative for small and medium-sized businesses across the province.
To contact participating local chambers of commerce and boards of trade about the covid 19 Rapid Screening Initiative, visit the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.
Financial relief
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covid 19 Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) and covid 19 Energy Assistance Program for Small Business (CEAP-SB)
The CEAP and CEAP-SB programs are ending. Utilities will continue to provide CEAP and CEAP-SB credits if they have funds remaining.
Contact your electricity and/or natural gas utility to find out if they are still accepting applications.
More information is available from the Ontario Energy Board.
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Pausing commercial evictions
We are temporarily stopping or reversing evictions of commercial tenants and protecting them from being locked out or having their assets seized during covid 19. This applies to businesses that were eligible for the previous Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) for small businesses program or who have been approved for the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS).
Tax relief
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Employer Health Tax relief
We increased the Employer Health Tax (EHT) exemption from $490,000 to $1 million starting in 2020.
Along with doubling the exemption, we doubled the instalment threshold from $600,000 to $1.2 million starting with the 2021 tax year.
What this means for you
As an employer, this means additional EHT relief of up to $9,945 per year, for a total of up to $19,500 in annual EHT savings per eligible employer.
The annual tax return form is not changing. Only the amount that you enter for the exemption claimed will change. Tax rates and eligibility criteria for the tax exemption remain the same.
In 2021, all employers will begin remitting monthly instalments when their annual payroll exceeds $1.2 million.
If your business no longer needs to make instalment payments or file an EHT return as a result of the increased exemption amount or instalment threshold, you do not need to notify the Ministry of Finance.
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Regional Opportunities Investment Tax Credit
If your corporation is building, renovating or acquiring an eligible commercial or industrial building in a designated region in Ontario, you may be eligible to claim a tax credit of up to $90,000 in a year.
In the 2021 Budget, Ontario announced that it will temporarily enhance this tax credit by investing an additional $61 million, resulting in total tax credit support of about $155 million by 2022–23.
The tax credit will be available to claim on your corporate income tax return.
Learn more about the tax credit and if your project qualifies.
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Jobs Training Tax Credit
The temporary Ontario Jobs Training Tax Credit will help workers get the training they need.
It will provide up to $2,000 to individuals with eligible training expenses in 2021. This measure would provide about $260 million in support to 230,000 Ontario individuals.
Guidance for employers
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Your responsibilities and employee protections
Learn about employers' responsibilities, and get information about job protections available to employees including:
- leaves of absence
- taking vacation time
- temporary layoffs
- filing a claim
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Show your commitment to safety
Consider making the POST Promise – a self-declaration that your business is working to help prevent the spread of covid 19. Once completed, you’ll get tools to help educate employees on workplace safety. You can also display the POST Promise logo, which is a nationally recognized symbol of a business’s commitment to doing their part.
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Find PPE suppliers
Access the Workplace PPE Supplier Directory to find personal protective equipment for your business.
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Sector-specific guidance and posters
Get sector-specific guidelines and posters to help protect workers, customers and the general public.
We have also developed guidance for transit agencies and passengers to help stop the spread of covid 19.
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Develop your covid 19 workplace safety plan
Learn how you can create a plan to help protect your workers and others from covid 19.
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Other helpful resources
- Learn how to organize a private covid 19 testing campaign at your workplace for asymptomatic individuals who are ineligible for testing under the covid 19 Provincial Testing Guidance.
- From the Government of Canada:
- Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses: covid 19 Small Business Help Centre
- Ontario Chamber of Commerce: Pandemic Preparedness Toolkit for covid 19 (PDF)
- Retail Council of Canada: Road to Retail Recovery Playbook
Help from the federal government
The Canadian government has made available supports for business during covid 19.
Mental health and addictions supports
If you or your employees are feeling anxious, experiencing other mental health or addiction challenges or you can’t access your regular in-person counselling support, there are services you can access online or by phone, including self-led support, peer support and internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy.
Find mental health supportIf you are currently receiving mental health and addictions services and supports, please contact your current service provider, including community-based mental health and addictions agencies. Many of these providers are modifying their services to move towards virtual care, meeting clients by phone or secure video-conferencing.
How you can help
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Setting up an onsite workplace clinic
To supplement publicly run vaccination clinics, employers may open onsite clinics in hot spot communities to vaccinate:
- employees aged 18 and older who cannot work from home
- members of the local and neighbouring communities
To make sure employer-run onsite clinics are consistent with local vaccination plans:
- they can only be set up with the support of local public health units
- local public health units will determine who can be vaccinated at onsite clinics
Criteria
If you are an employer interested in hosting an onsite clinic, you must meet the following criteria.
Your workplace
- is in designated hot-spot community
- has had a previous covid 19 outbreak or is at risk of one
The clinic
- will vaccinate employees who cannot work at home
- will vaccinate people in the local community, either at the onsite clinic or an alternative location set up in consultation with the local public health unit
- must have the local public health unit’s support
You
- will take on the responsibility of setting up, operating and funding the onsite vaccination clinic and any community clinics
Learn more
If you meet the criteria, email covid19vaccinetaskforce@ontario.ca to learn more about hosting an onsite clinic at your workplace.
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Ontario Together: Help fight COVID-19
Get free rapid tests, access funding, sell supplies to government, or search for PPE suppliers and testing services through our Ontario Together initiative.
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Help stop the spread by promoting the COVID Alert app
Download the COVID Alert app and get free marketing materials for your website, print promotions, social media and more.
Cut red tape for your business
We want to hear from you on the issues you’re dealing with as a business owner or representative. Tell us how we can reduce the regulatory burden to help make your business more competitive and support your investment in Ontario.
Related
- Support for businesses with fewer than 100 employees
- Ontario's Action Plan: Responding to covid 19
- Canada's covid 19 Economic Response Plan
- Report price gouging related to covid 19
- covid 19: Support for people
- covid 19: Support for students and parents
- covid 19: Support for workers
- covid 19: Stop the spread