The Canadian Urban Libraries Council (CULC) last month wrote to the Ministers of Finance and of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion calling on the government to make changes to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) to ensure municipal and library employees temporarily laid off due to COVID-19 can access an employer-paid supplementary benefit in addition to the $2,000 per month CERB and exceed the $1,000 per month in additional employment income currently permitted.
https://librarianship.ca/news/culc-cerb/
The Canadian Urban Libraries Council (CULC) last month wrote to the Minister of Finance (Bill Morneau) and Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion (Carla Qualtrough) calling on the government to make changes to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)
to ensure municipal and library employees temporarily laid off due to COVID-19 can access an employer-paid supplementary benefit in addition to the $2,000 per month CERB and exceed the $1,000 per month in additional employment income currently permitted. This would ensure the CERB is consistent with the ability to provide an employer-paid Supplemental Unemployment Benefit (SUB) plan as per the Employment Insurance Act and enable public libraries to continue to support employees during this very challenging period. This would come at no additional expense to the federal government.
Many municipal and library employees were informed of temporary lay off in advance of the CERB being established and were informed that supplemental income would be allowable as permitted under the Employment Insurance Act. A change to allow additional SUB income under the CERB program would provide municipalities with the needed flexibility to honour agreements made to employees at the time of the temporary lay off.
Letter to Hon. Bill Morneau, P.C., M.P. (PDF)
Minister of Finance
Letter to Hon. Carla Qualtrough, P.C., M.P. (PDF)
Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion