Fixing the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy

Some practical ideas to make an unconventional measure work for more small businesses

Unconventional times call for unconventional measures. The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) announced by the federal government certainly fits that description.

The CEWS is projected to provide employers with $73 billion over a 3- month period. That is equivalent to about the last three and a half years worth of Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. It is by far the largest piece of Canada’s economic support package. For the federal government’s economic rescue plan to work, CEWS needs to work.