Your business and COVID-19 in Nova Scotia

Are you a business that can supply products and service in support of Nova Scotia’s response to COVID-19? If so, the provincial government would like to hear from you. A procurement portal has been developed and includes a list of products and services the provincial government is looking for. 

If you need to lay off employees temporarily, there is no requirement to give or pay notice since the COVID-19 is a circumstance that could not be foreseen by an employer. 

Emergency leave

If an employee cannot work because their employer has been ordered, under the Nova Scotia Health Protection Act, to close part − or all − of their operations, the employee would be entitled to emergency leave job protection.  This is one example of the application of the emergency leave provisions, there are other circumstances to which the provisions apply.  Employees are entitled to emergency leave for as long as they are unable to perform their work duties because of the emergency. Employees eligible for emergency leave must be permitted to return to their job once the emergency ends.  

Businesses, organizations and health professions that were originally required to close under the Health Protection Act Order have since been allowed to reopen as long as they follow their sector-specific plans, and comply with updates to the Health Protection Act Order. They also need to have a Workplace COVID-19 Prevention Plan and follow gathering limits for meetings and training.

Nova Scotia’s COVID-19 immunization plan includes 3 phases. Each phase identifies when different groups can receive the vaccine. The plan is flexible to allow for increases or decreases in vaccine supply. Every person in Nova Scotia who wants the COVID-19 vaccine will receive it for free.

As vaccine supply increases, access to the vaccine will also increase. Nova Scotia plans to have vaccine available to at least 75% of the population by the end of September 2021.

Phase 1: initial doses and planning

How the vaccine will roll out in different areas of the province depends on vaccine shipments and distribution. Vaccine will be distributed on a rotation to cold storage sites as it’s received, until supply increases.

The first phase of Nova Scotia’s COVID-19 immunization plan focuses on:

• Healthcare workers who work directly with patients in hospital or patients in their home
• People who work in long-term care facilities
• People who live in long-term care facilities and their designated caregivers
• People who live and work in Department of Community Services facilities like adult residential care centres and regional rehabilitation centres

Groups identified in Phase 1 will get an invitation to receive their vaccine in a healthcare or long-term care clinic.

Phase 2: expanding access

The second phase of Nova Scotia’s COVID-19 immunization plan expands access to the vaccine and focuses on:

• Anyone who works in a hospital and may come into contact with patients
• Community healthcare providers, including doctors, nurses, dentists, dental hygienists, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians
• People who live in large group settings (correctional facilities, shelters and temporary foreign worker housing) and those who work directly with them
• People who are required to regularly travel in and out of the province for work, like truck drivers and rotational workers (people who live in Nova Scotia or New Brunswick and cross the border every day for work are not included in this group)
• People who are responsible for food security and cannot maintain public health measures because of the nature of their work (like large food processing plants)
• People who are 80 and older
• People who are 75 to 79

Phase 3: all Nova Scotians

The third phase of Nova Scotia’s COVID-19 immunization plan focuses on all Nova Scotians who did not receive the vaccine in earlier phases, including all professions and people with health conditions. Most Nova Scotians will be able to receive their vaccine during phase 3. In this phase, Nova Scotians can receive the vaccine by age group (groups are in five-year increments).

Age groups include:

• 70 to 74
• 65 to 69
• 60 to 64
• 55 to 59
• 50 to 54
• 45 to 49
• 40 to 44
• 35 to 39
• 30 to 34
• 25 to 29
• 16 to 24

It may be possible to put a vaccination policy in place, or to make being vaccinated a condition of employment; however, it is important that accommodations are made for employees who cannot be vaccinated for medical or religious reasons. It is worth noting that terminating an employee for not getting the vaccine could lead to a claim of unfair dismissal.

Before implementing a mandatory vaccination policy, consider the following:

• Does the workplace serve a vulnerable population?
• What is the nature and duration of the employee’s contact with that population?
• Assess risk for different positions – you may want to avoid an all-employee blanket policy.

Ensure the policy is clear and employees understand consequences for non-compliance.

It is strongly recommended you consult with legal counsel to evaluate the risk of a mandatory vaccination policy in your workplace.

CFIB has a template vaccination policy available to members in our Resource Library. Please note: due to the legal implications, our Advisors are not in a position to help customize this template. To customize it, you should speak with a lawyer.

Nova Scotia Health has been offering frequent pop-up rapid testing clinics, in numerous locations.

Rapid testing is offered for people who:

• Are over 16
• do not have symptoms
• have not travelled
• have not visited a potential exposure location
• have not been in contact with someone who has tested positive

You will receive a text with your negative result. If you do not receive your negative result, please reply to the text you received upon registration for rapid testing.

If you test positive, you will be notified and sent for a standard COVID-19 test.

Important: A negative result on the rapid test is not a guarantee. You could still develop or be exposed to COVID-19 in the coming days. It’s important to continue to protect yourself and others by continuing to wear a mask, washing your hands, maintaining social/physical distance and sticking to a small social bubble.

With Canada firmly in the grip of COVID-19, it is anything but business as usual.  Many businesses are closing their doors and laying off staff, others have employees refusing to come to work. We are all stressed and everyone is worried about their health and financial well-being.  Amidst this turbulence, you as a business leader are scrambling to keep your business afloat while leading your staff through these uncertain times.

Here are links to resources you can access if you’re feeling overwhelmed:

Nova Scotia

• Mental Health Mobile Crisis Team at 1-902-429-8167 or 1-888-429-8167
• Helping you find the right community and social services or call 211
• Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia 

Federal

• Government of Canada
  • Mental health and wellness 
  • Wellness Together Canada: Mental Health and Substance Use Support 
  • COVID-19 Information Line 1 833 784 4397
• Mental Health Commission of Canada
  • COVID-19 mental well-being  
• Canadian Mental Health Association
  • COVID-19 and mental health 
  • 6 tips to respond to employee anxiety about COVID-19  
  • CMHA offers tips to support mental health amid concerns of COVID-19 pandemic  
  • Pandemic pushing your anxiety buttons?  
• Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
  • Mental Health
• Morneau Shepell – CFIB’s partner
  • COVID-19 Awareness and Training 

Business Navigators are available to help Nova Scotia businesses with any questions they may have. They can be reached Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm at 1-844-628-7347, 902-424-4475 or by email at BusNavigation@novascotia.ca 

For more detailed information, please visit the Nova Scotia COVID-19 information page.

The program is a joint initiative of the Nova Scotia Co-operative Council, Atlantic Central, local participating credit unions, and the Province of Nova Scotia. The Small Business Loan Guarantee Program supports provincial business owners with creating and maintaining rewarding careers for Nova Scotians each year.

The program is only available through credit unions, ensuring the investments remain in Nova Scotia. Businesses can access up to $500,000 in the form of term loans, working capital and lines of credit.

Loans may be granted for a term of up to of 10 years. The Province of Nova Scotia will guarantee up to 90 percent of the value of all term loans and up to 75 percent on lines of credit; however, a 90 percent guarantee may be available to those that qualify under the special financing streams.

All types of businesses are eligible except:

• Residential and commercial real estate,
• Beverage rooms and taverns, or
• Any venture of a questionable ethical or legal nature.

Special financing streams for immigrant entrepreneurs and social enterprises as well as the forestry and high-risk sectors are also available. 

The COVID-19 Agriculture Response Program helps Nova Scotia's agriculture industry mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry's competitiveness, productivity, and profitability.

There are 4 streams for funding under the COVID-19 Response and Mitigation Program. The funding does not need to be repaid.

Stream 1: COVID-19 mitigation and adaptation for health protocol

75% funding assistance on total eligible project costs to a maximum of $50,000 per program year, to help applicants comply with recommended health protocols.

Stream 2: COVID-19 marketing, product movement and distribution

50% funding assistance on total eligible project costs to a maximum of $20,000 per project for agriculture companies and registered Nova Scotia farms.

Stream 3: COVID-19 strategic projects

Initiatives that meet the objectives of the program at a sector or industry level will be reviewed for funding on an individual basis.

Stream 4: COVID-19 abattoir efficiency and development

75% funding assistance on total eligible project costs to a maximum of $50,000 per program year.

Eligibility

These businesses and organizations can apply to the program.

• Farms:
  • If the owner is at least 19 years old and is actively farming in the program year
  • If the farm is registered in the correct income category under the Farm Registration Act
• Agri-businesses:
  • That represent identifiable Nova Scotia agriculture and agri-food products
  • That conduct value-added processing of a raw Nova Scotia agriculture product (at least 50% of the business's product), showing a direct partnership and significant economic impact to Nova Scotia's primary agricultural activity
• Agricultural industry associations:
  • That represent identifiable Nova Scotia agriculture and agri-food products
  • That can prove their not-for-profit status
• Provincially or federally licensed abattoirs
• Mi'kmaq First Nations and other indigenous organizations involved in agriculture business

Applications from other businesses or organizations may be considered.

Emergency On-Farm Support Fund Program helps farms improve their workers’ health and safety by limiting the spread of COVID-19 in agriculture operations.

Funding Eligible project costs include:

• Adjustments to farm operations to ensure worker safety during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Personal protective equipment
• Costs related to training workers on COVID-19 protocols

Applicants are eligible for assistance of 75% on eligible project costs to a maximum of $50,000. Disposable personal protective equipment is capped at 10% of eligible project cost, to a maximum of $7,000.

Eligibility Farms can apply to the program if they:

• Are currently registered under the Farm Registration Act
• Have an owner who is at least 19 years old
• Report gross commodity income of at least $30,000
• Have at least 5 employees
• Adhere to the Federal Quarantine Act

Eligible businesses will receive a one-time grant of 15% of their sales revenue for the month of April 2019 or February 2020, up to a maximum of $5,000. Businesses established after March 15, 2020, are eligible for 15% of the sales revenue for any month from April 2020 to March 2021. 

Applications:

Previous recipients of a Small Business Impact Grant in eligible business sectors will receive an e-mail this week. Applications for businesses that did not receive a previous Small Business Impact Grant are now open. 

As of June 25^th applications are now closed.

Eligibility Criteria:

Businesses must have:

• Been directly affected by the April 2021 restrictions;
• Experienced an average monthly revenue loss of 30% or more for the period of March 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021, compared to the same time the previous year; or
• Anticipate at least a 30% reduction in revenue in May 2021 as a result of the restrictions introduced in April 2021.

Eligible Businesses:

• Restaurants offering in-person dining service.
• Bars or licensed drinking establishments.
• Fitness, recreational and leisure facilities including gyms, yoga studios, indoor play areas, arcades, climbing facilities, dance programs, and music lessons.
• Personal services including hair salons, barber shops, spas, nail salons, and body art establishments.
• Independent retailers with a physical retail location.
• Live performing arts

Qualified operators can receive a 50% rebate on the first six months of commercial property tax paid in 2021-2022.

Applications:

Applications are now through Tourism Nova Scotia

Eligibility Criteria:

Businesses applying for this program must:

• Meet the definition of a roofed accommodation as set out in the Tourist Accommodation Registration Act;
• Be registered as a host under the Act;
• Have more than five rooms available to rent;
• Not be in arrears of property taxes or property tax installment payments; and
• Have experienced a year-over-year revenue loss of at least 30 per cent from April 1 to October 31, 2020.

Operators who received payments under the first Tourism Accommodations Real Property Tax Rebate Program will be automatically eligible as long as they are still the owners of the property.

Eligible businesses can receive a one-time rebate of $1,000 or 50% of the property taxes paid for the last six months of the 2020-2021 tax year.

Applications:

As of June 25^th applications are now closed.

Eligibility criteria:

• Only available to recipients of previous Small Business Impact Grants (Part 1 or 2)
• Must have experienced a year-over-year decline in revenues of at least 30% for the period April 30, 2020, to January 31, 2021. 
  • Or have started operations on or after January 1, 2020.
• Must not have received a rebate through the Tourism Accommodations Real Property tax Rebate Program. 

Eligible Businesses:

• Gym and fitness establishments.
• Hair salons and barber shops.
• Spas, nail salons, body art establishments.
• Restaurants offering in-person dining service.
• Bars and licensed drinking establishments.

Government is deferring fees until June 30, 2021, for businesses that were required to close or had operations significantly curtailed by the April public health restrictions. 

Workers' Compensation premium payments will be deferred until July. Note that although payment is deferred you must still submit your payroll for the time period, even if it is $0. 

Workers, including the self employed, who are unable to work remotely and miss less than 50% of their scheduled weekly work time due to COVID-19 could be eligible for up to 4 paid sick days. Applications will open on May 26^th.

The program includes those taking sick days for:

• Waiting to get tested for COVID-19
• Self-isolating while waiting for test results
• Going to get vaccinated

The 4 sick days don’t need to be taken consecutively. The program will cover eligible sick days taken between 10 May 2021 and 31 July 2021.

Self-employed persons are eligible if:

• They are actively earning income from the business as their primary source of income
• They are registered to do business in Nova Scotia, if applicable
• They have declared business income on their most recent tax return
• They have lost income because they missed time at work
• They are in good standing with the Government of Nova Scotia (not in default of any financial obligations like loan repayments, taxes, fines, fees and administrative and court orders)
• They aren’t eligible for or receiving other income support (like Business Interruption Insurance, Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit or any other income replacement or insurance programs)

The reimbursement payment is calculated based on the employee’s current rate of pay up to a maximum of $20 per hour or $160 day (the maximum total payment per employee is $640). Businesses can apply to be reimbursed for an employee’s pay when an employee needs to take time off.

Eligible businesses can receive a one-time grant for marketing expenses. Eligible operators can qualify for $1,000 per room for their first 10 rooms and $500 per room for each additional room. 

Examples of eligible expenses include: advertising, packages, incentives and upgrades for customers.

Applications:

Applications will be open from the 23^rd of June 2021 to the 23^rd of July 2021.

Eligibility criteria:

• Must meet the definition of a roofed accommodation in the Tourist Accommodations Registration Act
• Must be registered as a host under the Tourist Accommodations Registration Act
• Must be HST registered
• Must have at least 1 room available for rent to travellers

To apply businesses must do the following:

• Provide proof of HST registration
• Attest that you’ll use the funding to develop and offer promotions and offers for customers

Eligible tourism businesses that were affected by COVID-19 restrictions can receive a one-time grant of $5,000.

Applications:

Applications will be open from the 23^rd of June 2021 to the 23^rd of July 2021.

Eligibility criteria:

Businesses are eligible if their main business activity is 1 or more of the following:

• Tour operators
• Scenic and sightseeing transportation
• Outdoor adventure operators or outfitters nature parks, amusement or theme parks, zoos and botanical gardens
• Recreational vehicle parks and campgrounds that didn’t qualify for the Tourism Accommodations Real Property Tax Rebate Program Part 1 or Part 2
• Travel agencies

Eligible applicants will be identified by their North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes and Tourism Nova Scotia’s listings of tourism businesses and attractions.

To qualify, businesses must also:

• be registered as a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, society, social enterprise, not-for-profit, charity in business or other similar organization
• employ fewer than 100 employees
• pay the small business tax rate, if incorporated
• be HST registered

Ineligible Businesses:

• Golf clubs and courses 

Businesses also aren’t eligible if they’ve received funding from any of these programs:

• Tourism Accommodations Real Property Tax Rebate Program Part 1 or Part 2

• Small Business Impact Grant Part 3

• Small Business Tax Rebate Program

• Tourism Sector Financing Assistance Program