Weekly Liquor Industry Update: January 13, 2022
Dear ABLE BC Members and Industry Colleagues,
Here's what you'll find inside today's update:
Applications now open for COVID-19 Closure Relief Grants
Federal Support extended for The Local Lockdown Program and The Canada Worker Lockdown benefit.
Federal Support for the Tourism and Hospitality Industry.
Business Access to Rapid Testing: Safe Screen BC
Update on Mandatory Paid Sick Leave
Provincial State of Emergency Extended and current Highway Closures
Deadline to repay Canada Emergency Business Loan (CEBA) extended
Businesses Required to Re-Activate COVID-19 Safety Plans
Membership payments now overdue
ABLE BC in the news
Find all past COVID-19 updates here.
Applications now open for COVID-19 Closure Relief Grants
Effective January 11th, 2022, Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation, announced that applications for the COVID-19 Closure Relief Grant are now open.
This $10-million program has been fast-tracked by the Provincial Government over the past few weeks, complementing existing federal government programs, including the recently expanded Local Lockdown Program and the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit.
This program is designed to support BC business ordered closed by the Provincial Health Orders issued on Dec. 22, 2021.
Businesses ordered to close include:
Bars, Nightclubs and Lounges that do not serve full meals.
Gyms, Fitness and Adult Dance Centres
Event Venues that can no longer hold events
Relief grants of between $1,000 and $10,000 will be provided to eligible businesses based on the number of employees, following a similar formula to the previous Circuit Breaker Relief Grant that supported businesses in the spring of 2021.
During the announcement, Minister Kahlon noted that government will expedite applications from businesses that previously received grants such as the Circuit Breaker Business Relief Grant. Minister Kahlon was also clear that any business guilty of violating a previous Provincial Health Orders is ineligible for the COVID-19 Closure Relief Grant
To apply for a grant visit: www.gov.bc.ca/business-relief
HELPFUL LINKS
ABLE BC Resources
Visit our COVID-19 Resources page for Liquor Primary COVID Best Practices, template signage, recent policy changes, and more.
Public Health Orders
Visit this page to download all current regional and provincial public health orders.
BC's Restart Plan
Visit the BC Government website for more information on the four-step
Restart Plan.
go2HR Resources
Visit the go2HR website for COVID-19 FAQ for Employers, HR information and updates, and more.
Federal Support for the Tourism and Hospitality Industry:
With new capacity restrictions and lockdowns being implemented across the country, Government of Canada support programs are available for tourism and hospitality businesses.
CRA has has also included detailed information on the various programs and can be found here.
Note: If you applied for the Tourism & Hospitality Recovery Program (THRP) for period 22 (October 24 to November 20, 2021), you may have been affected by an error in the calculation spreadsheet for wage and hiring support, which erroneously showed they were ineligible for the THRP when they may have been eligible.
Business Access to Rapid Testing - Safe Screen BC
In an effort to keep businesses and their employees safe, the BC Government has launched Safe Screen BC to begin enabling businesses to access rapid antigen tests.
Organized in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA), Safe Screen B.C. will guide businesses through the required application process for provincially available test-kits and support businesses in the set-up of onsite rapid workplace screening programs for employees.
There are two pathways for B.C. businesses to apply for, and to receive approval to conduct COVID-19 screening activities for workers
Independently – Businesses apply directly with PHSA.
Safe Screen B.C. – Businesses apply through Safe Screen B.C. to PHSA; and receive support and guidance which will streamline and simplify the application process and the implementation of the screening program to meet their specific workplace needs.
Under the current Provincial Health Order, B.C. Businesses must have pre-approval from the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) and meet PHSA training and reporting requirements to conduct COVID-19 screening for workers.
Businesses interested in Safe Screen BC can register to attend an information session here.
Update on Mandatory Paid Sick Leave
Over the past two weeks, we have heard from many of you with questions—and growing frustration—about the BC's government's new mandatory paid sick leave policy. For a summary of frequently asked questions, please access this FAQ from DLA Piper or this FAQ from go2HR.
While we know this was absolutely the wrong time to add costs to BC's struggling small businesses, government has said clearly that paid sick leave is here to stay. As a short-term solution to support businesses struggling with labour shortages and sick workers due to the Omicron variant, we have asked government to extend the now-expired Employer Reimbursement Program.
Under the program, which ended Dec. 31, 2021, the Province reimbursed employers up to $200 per day for up to three days of COVID-19-related paid sick leave wages. If reinstated, this program would provide vital support to BC’s hospitality businesses entering what is typically our slowest time of year.
If you are as frustrated as we are, please take a moment to write to the Honourable Harry Bains, Minister of Labour, at LBR.Minister@gov.bc.ca to ask that he reinstate the Employer Reimbursement Program.
Additionally, if your business has been negatively impacted by new paid sick leave entitlements, please take a moment to tell us about your experience by writing directly to Jeff Guignard, Executive Director, at jeff@ablebc.ca.
Provincial State of Emergency Extended
On Tuesday, Jan. 11th, 2022, Public Safety and Solicitor General, Honourable Mike Farnworth, announced the extension of the Provincial State of Emergency until the end of day, Jan. 18, 2022.
Given the continued need for public safety measures under the Emergency Program Act and ongoing work to repair damaged highways, the following travel restrictions for highways 5 and 99 are still in place:
Highway 5 (Coquihalla) between Hope and Merritt: only commercial vehicles with a minimum licensed gross vehicle weight of 11,794 kilograms and inter-city buses are permitted.
The junction of Highway 99 and Lillooet River Road to the BC Hydro Seton Lake campsite access in Lillooet, open to all traffic, but vehicles weighing more than 14,500 kilograms are not permitted.
You can find additional information here.
Deadline to repay Canada Emergency Business Loan (CEBA) extended
The Government of Canada has announced the deadline for repayment of CEBA loans to qualify for partial loan forgiveness is being extended from December 31, 2022, to December 31, 2023, for all eligible borrowers in good standing.
This extension--which was requested by business associations such as ABLE BC--provides extra support and repayment flexibility to businesses who are facing continued financial challenges due to the pandemic and closures.
Repayment on or before the new deadline of December 31, 2023, will result in loan forgiveness of up to a third of the value of the loans (i.e. up to $20,000).
Outstanding loans would subsequently convert to two-year term loans with interest of 5 per cent per annum commencing on January 1, 2024, with the loans fully due by December 31, 2025.
The repayment deadline to qualify for partial forgiveness for CEBA-equivalent lending through the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund has also been extended to December 31, 2023.
Businesses required to re-activate COVID-19 safety plans
Earlier in the pandemic, employers were asked to create and implement a detail COVID-19 Safety plan that was specific to their business. These plans were replaced by a more general focus on Communicable Disease Prevention as the province reopened on July 1, 2021
Announced January 7t, 2022, the Provincial Health officer now requires employers to reinstate and update these site specific COVID Safety Plans, to address the elevated risk we are currently facing with the Omicron variant.
The COVID-19 safety plan will supersede the basic principles of communicable disease prevention during this period of elevated risk by incorporating more specific protocols for preventing COVID-19 transmission. These may include occupancy limits, physical distancing, and barriers.
What Employers need to do:
Reviewing existing procedures and worker protections
Where needed, enhancing those protections to the extent practicable
Communicating with workers to ensure they understand their role in controlling the risk
If an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they need to follow the guidance of the BC Centre for Disease Control around taking care of themselves, self-isolating, and notifying close contacts.
Evidence shows vaccination is still the strongest form of protection against the spread of Covid-19 in the workplace. Employers are encouraged to consider staff-vaccination policies at their own discretion.
Employees have the right to refuse work if they believe it presents an undue hazard. An undue hazard is an “unwarranted, inappropriate, excessive, or disproportionate” hazard. For COVID-19, an “undue hazard” would be one where an employee’s job role places them at increased risk of exposure and adequate controls are not in place to protect them from that exposure.
For more information about employees’ rights in the workplace, see: COVID-19 information for workers.
With this new order in place, WorkSafeBC Prevention Officers will look for updated COVID-19 safety plans at worksites.
WorkSafeBC's website has been updated to include:
Workers and employers with questions can call WorkSafeBC's Prevention Information Line at 1-888-621-7233 to speak directly with a prevention officer.
REMINDER: Membership Payments are now Overdue
Thank you to all members who have already paid their membership dues for 2021-2022. Your faith in us, and your prompt payment, ensures we can continue our important advocacy on your behalf.
If you have not already remitted payment, your account is now overdue. Please contact jeff@ablebc.ca to arrange payment or to request a copy of your invoice.
To sign up now, please visit ablebc.ca.
Recent Media
Executive Director Jeff Guignard spoke to media this week about the need for ongoing financial support for businesses ordered closed by Provincial Health Orders.
B.C. businesses that defied COVID-19 closure orders ineligible for provincial grant - Vancouver Sun