This program will reimburse private sector employers, including those self‐employed, for continuation of employee pay associated with the time period their employees are required to self-isolate following their return from out‐of‐province travel due to the recently announced COVID‐19 travel restrictions.
The maximum amount of funding under the provincial compensation program will be $500 per week for each employee (to a combined maximum of $1,000 per week for each employee when receiving both federal and provincial funding). The amount paid under this program will depend on federal funding received. Companies should be aware that funding under this program may be considered government assistance for purposes of corporate income tax and other programs.
Employers should apply for any available federal funding. The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy provides employers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with reimbursement for wages paid to staff up to 75 per cent of the amount paid to a maximum of $847 per week per employee. The Temporary Wage Subsidy provides eligible employers with a reduction in payroll remittances of 10 per cent of eligible salaries, up to a maximum of $1,375 per eligible employee and $25,000 per employer for a three month period. The Canada Emergency Response Benefit provides a taxable benefit of $2,000 every 4 weeks for up to 16 weeks to eligible workers, including those self-employed, who have lost their income due to COVID-19.
To qualify for Provincial compensation, the following criteria must be met:
- Employers should apply for federal funding;
- International travel must have originated on or before March 14 with arrival into Newfoundland and Labrador on or after March 14 and interprovincial travel must have originated on or before March 20 with arrival into Newfoundland and Labrador on or after March 20. This applies to individuals who travelled for personal or professional reasons;
- Reimbursement is only for employees who are residents of Newfoundland and Labrador for pay between the period when an employee is scheduled to return to work and the end of the 14-day isolation period; and
- Employers with employees who work part-time/shift work, but were not scheduled to work during the isolation period due to the timing of when a schedule is set can avail of compensation based on the average weekly hours worked in the preceding month. Proof of this prior compensation will be required.
Compensation assistance will not apply in the following circumstances:
- If an employee is/was able to work from home while in isolation. Employers will not be compensated for employees who are working during their period of self-isolation;
- If an employee is/was scheduled to use vacation/leave days during the period of isolation. Employees would be expected to use this leave or any other special leave with pay that is available before applying for this program;
- Compensation through this program is only available for individuals who have travelled and were self-isolating, compensation will not be provided for others in the household; and
- Any individual who falls ill or is diagnosed with COVID-19 after the 14-day self-isolation period will be required to follow their regular sick leave arrangement with their employer, or apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) program.
Eligibility for this program will end when the mandatory self-isolation order is lifted by the Chief Medical Officer of Health.
Applications have to be received within 3 months of the date the employee returned from international or interprovincial travel to Newfoundland and Labrador.
Questions and Answers
- What will this program do for those who had to self-isolate because of travel due to COVID-19?
- How much will people be eligible for?
- What are the eligibility requirements?
- What documentation should employers expect to supply?
- Are there any restrictions on compensation?
- When will employers and self-employed individuals who had to self-isolate get the money for those 14 days in isolation?
- Are people returning to the province today from out-of-country or out-of-province travel eligible for this program?
- How will the program be administered?
- What is the travel coverage period?
- Will an individual that works for several employers be covered multiple times by this program?
- What is the deadline for applications under this program?
- When will this program end?
1. What will this program do for those who had to self-isolate because of travel due to COVID-19?
This program will reimburse private sector employers, including those self-employed, for continuation of employee pay associated with the time period their employees are required to self-isolate following their return from out-of-province travel due to the recently announced COVID-19 travel restrictions.
2. How much will people be eligible for?
The maximum amount of funding under this program will be $500 per week for each employee (to a combined maximum of $1,000 per week for each employee when receiving both federal and provincial funding). The amount paid under this program will depend on federal funding received.
3. What are the eligibility requirements?
- To be eligible for this program, the employee must be a resident of Newfoundland and Labrador who was scheduled to return to work during the mandated 14 day self-isolation period. Compensation will be available regardless if travel was for personal or professional reasons.
- Reimbursement, up to a maximum of $500 per week for each employee, is for private sector employee pay only during the period of self-isolation including normal payroll costs directly attributable to the employee for the affected period.
- Includes employer-paid benefits such as CPP/EI contributions.
- Other COVID-19 preparatory costs incurred by employers or employees (such as travel costs) will not be reimbursed under this program.
- Private sector employees must have travelled outside of Newfoundland and Labrador and returned to Newfoundland and Labrador during the respective travel coverage period for international or interprovincial travel.
4. What documentation should employers expect to supply?
For each employee, the following supporting documentation is required to be provided (copies are acceptable):
- Payroll registers or pay stubs/remittances substantiating the employee’s gross pay, employer and employee deductions, and net pay for both the period being claimed as well as the prior period,
- Shift schedules, timecard system, and leave request records validating the employee’s work schedule and leave taken for period being claimed, and
- Travel itineraries, boarding passes, or stamped passports to confirm travel outside NL during the travel coverage period.
5. Are there any restrictions on compensation?
- Employers will be reimbursed for compensation paid to employees who have travelled and are self-isolating, not for anyone else in the household. The onus is on the individual to take responsible measures to reduce exposure to family members. Self-isolation through contact tracing is not eligible.
- Any individual who falls ill or is diagnosed with COVID-19 after the 14-day self-isolation period will be required to follow their regular sick leave arrangement with their employer, or apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit program.
- If an individual reported to work prior to the requirement to self-isolate (i.e. on or before March 14, 2020 or March 20, 2020), and subsequently started exhibiting symptoms within 14 days of travel outside of the country or within Canada respectively, their salary is not eligible for this program.
- If an employee is able to work from home while in isolation, they are expected to do so. Employers will not be compensated for employees working from home.
6. When will employers and self-employed individuals who had to self-isolate get the money for those 14 days in isolation?
Processing and payment will be performed as quickly as possible.
7. Are people returning to the province today from out-of-country or out-of-province travel eligible for this program?
As long as their departure date was on or before March 14, 2020 for international travel and on or before March 20, 2020 for interprovincial travel, they are eligible. Anyone who travelled after these dates did so against public health advice, and do not qualify.
8. How will the program be administered?
We have staff in place who will work with employers through the application process. They will review applications and use our normal processes for issuing payments. Payments will only be issued by direct deposit.
9. What is the travel coverage period?
The travel coverage period is defined as follows:
Any travel with a final destination outside of Canada (international);
- Travel must have originated on or before March 14, 2020; and
- Arrival into Newfoundland and Labrador on or after March 14, 2020.
Any travel with a final destination within Canada (interprovincial):
- Travel must have originated on or before March 20, 2020; and
- Arrival into Newfoundland and Labrador on or after March 20, 2020.
10. Will an individual that works for several employers be covered multiple times by this program?
In the case of an employee with multiple employers, reimbursement will be limited to one 14 day period per employer. The maximum payable to multiple employers with the same employee is $500 per week in provincial funding.
11. What is the deadline for applications under this program?
Applications have to be received within 3 months of the date the employee returned from international or interprovincial travel to Newfoundland and Labrador.
12. When will this program end?
Eligibility for this program will end when the mandatory self-isolation order is lifted by the Chief Medical Officer of Health.