A survey conducted by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) shows that employers are struggling to rehire their temporarily laid-off employees or to find the workforce they need to reopen their businesses safely.
Survey results show that only a third of business owners say all of their staff is back to work, while a quarter still struggle to recall or recruit the employees they need to keep their business running.
“One of the many challenges faced by companies wishing to resume normal operations and contribute to the recovery is the scarcity of labor force, said Jasmin Guénette, vice-president of national affairs at CFIB. Over 27% of small business owners report that some employees they had to lay off refused to return to work when called back.”
Some of the reasons given for not returning to work are legitimate. However, other reasons are particular. Thus, according to the survey, 62% of people who do not wish to return to work prefer to continue to benefit from the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). 47% say they are worried about their physical health or that of their loved ones, 27% are worried about their childcare obligations, 16% do not think they have enough work or working hours and 11 % prefer the Canada Student Emergency Benefit (CSEB).
“It is clear that the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) is deterring a number of employees from returning to work, particularly in the accommodation, food and beverage and personal services industries, said Guénette. The CERB is an emergency aid for those who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. This program should not be used by those who want to rest all summer. It is important to change the CERB so that employees can no longer benefit from this program when called back to work.”
CFIB calls on the federal government to review its assistance programs to facilitate the transition of recipients from the Canada Emergency Resource Benefit (CERB) to the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS).
“Many employees have valid reasons why they cannot return to work yet. That said, we need to review the main assistance programs to allow employers to reopen their doors and rehire their employees. In addition, while we are delighted that the government has extended the wage subsidy until December, it is imperative that it outline the changes that will be made to it. Canada’s economy will be able to recover with much more vigor when more employers benefit from the wage subsidy and when more workers return to the workforce,” concludes Mr. Guénette.
