Learn about changes to government programs and available supports as your business recovers from covid 19.
Featured updates

Learn about opening an onsite vaccination clinic if your business is in a hot spot community.
Read our most recent news releases on business and the economy.
Setting up an employer-led vaccine clinic
To increase the province’s booster vaccination capacity, business groups and large corporate employers may open workplace and community clinics to vaccinate:
- employees aged 18 and older, their families and retirees
- members of local and neighbouring communities
Criteria
If you are an employer interested in hosting a clinic, you must meet the following criteria:
- provide your own Human and Health Resources (onsite or contracted nurses, doctors or other regulated health professionals who can administer vaccines)
- have a facility, or can arrange for an alternative facility in the community, such as a community hall or warehouse, to run a vaccine clinic safely
- offer vaccination to eligible workers and community members
As the employer, you must be willing to take on the responsibility of setting up, operating and funding the vaccination clinic.
Learn more
If you meet the criteria, please call the Ontario Together Contact Centre at 1-888-777-0554 to learn more about hosting a clinic at your business or community facility.
Reopening and operating safely
We’ve provided resources to help you understand the requirements and best practices for workplace safety. These actions can help you comply with the rules and keep operating safely.
Workplace safety plan
All businesses that are operating must have a written COVID‑19 safety plan by law. Find other resources such as posters, tools and sector-specific guidance for Ontario workplaces.
Employer’s responsibilities
Understand employers’ responsibilities regarding safe workplaces, temporary layoffs and leaves of absence due to COVID‑19. Attend a webinar to learn more.
Region-specific rules
Check the recovery framework and your public health unit website to learn about the restrictions and rules that apply to your region.
PPE suppliers
Access the Workplace PPE Supplier Directory to find supplies for your business.
Rapid antigen testing
Your organization can now conduct rapid antigen testing as an additional screening method that can help stop the spread of COVID‑19. Free test kits are available through the Provincial Antigen Screening Program, which has expanded to include more essential sectors.
Learn about testing and program eligibilityIn addition, the Ontario government, in partnership with the federal government and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, has launched the covid 19 Rapid Screening Initiative for small and medium-sized businesses across the province.
To contact participating local chambers of commerce and boards of trade about the covid 19 Rapid Screening Initiative, visit the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.
Financial relief
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Ontario COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant: Applications now closed
Applications for the Ontario Small Business Relief Grant closed on Friday, March 11, 2022.
The Ontario COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant provided eligible small businesses that were required to close under the modified Step Two of Roadmap to Reopen with a grant of $10,000.
If you have any questions about your submitted application, please contact OntarioSmallBusinessReliefGrant1@ontario.ca for further assistance.
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Ontario Business Costs Rebate Program: Applications now closed
Applications for the Ontario Business Costs Rebate Program in respect of December 2021 to February 2022 closed on March 14, 2022, and new applications are no longer being accepted.
The Ontario Business Costs Rebate Program supported eligible businesses most impacted by provincial public health measures in response to the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Eligible businesses were provided rebate payments for a portion of the property tax and energy costs they incurred while subject to these measures. Any applications submitted before the March 14th deadline are currently under review. Should the program need further information to complete your application processing, you will be contacted directly.
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Pausing commercial evictions
The ban on commercial evictions ended April 22, 2022.
We temporarily paused evictions of commercial tenants and protected them from being locked out or having their assets seized during COVID‑19. This applied to businesses that were eligible for the previous Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) for small businesses program or who had been approved for the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS).
Tax relief
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Improving cash flows for Ontario businesses
We are providing additional support to help improve cash flows for Ontario businesses by providing a six-month interest- and penalty-free period to make payments for most provincially administered taxes. This will:
- support businesses in the immediate term while capacity restrictions are in place
- provide the flexibility Ontario businesses will need for long-term planning
- Employer Health Tax
- Beer, Wine & Spirits Taxes
- Tobacco Tax Insurance Premium Tax
- Fuel Tax
- International Fuel Tax Agreement
- Gas Tax
- Retail Sales Tax on Insurance Contracts and Benefit Plans
- Mining Tax
- Race Tracks Tax
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Employer Health Tax relief
We increased the Employer Health Tax (EHT) exemption from $490,000 to $1 million starting in 2020.
Along with doubling the exemption, we doubled the instalment threshold from $600,000 to $1.2 million starting with the 2021 tax year.
What this means for you
As an employer, this means additional EHT relief of up to $9,945 per year, for a total of up to $19,500 in annual EHT savings per eligible employer.
The annual tax return form is not changing. Only the amount that you enter for the exemption claimed will change. Tax rates and eligibility criteria for the tax exemption remain the same.
In 2021, all employers will begin remitting monthly instalments when their annual payroll exceeds $1.2 million.
If your business no longer needs to make instalment payments or file an EHT return as a result of the increased exemption amount or instalment threshold, you do not need to notify the Ministry of Finance.
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Regional Opportunities Investment Tax Credit
If your corporation is building, renovating or acquiring an eligible commercial or industrial building in a designated region in Ontario, you may be eligible to claim a tax credit of up to $90,000 in a year.
In the 2021 Budget, Ontario announced that it will temporarily enhance this tax credit by investing an additional $61 million, resulting in total tax credit support of about $155 million by 2022–23.
The tax credit will be available to claim on your corporate income tax return.
Learn more about the tax credit and if your project qualifies.
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Jobs Training Tax Credit
The temporary Ontario Jobs Training Tax Credit will help workers get the training they need.
It will provide up to $2,000 to individuals with eligible training expenses in 2021. This measure would provide about $260 million in support to 230,000 Ontario individuals.
Guidance for employers
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Your responsibilities and employee protections
Learn about employers' responsibilities, and get information about job protections available to employees including:
- leaves of absence
- taking vacation time
- temporary layoffs
- filing a claim
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Show your commitment to safety
Consider making the POST Promise – a self-declaration that your business is working to help prevent the spread of covid 19. Once completed, you’ll get tools to help educate employees on workplace safety. You can also display the POST Promise logo, which is a nationally recognized symbol of a business’s commitment to doing their part.
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Find PPE suppliers
Access the Workplace PPE Supplier Directory to find personal protective equipment for your business.
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Sector-specific guidance and posters
Get sector-specific guidelines and posters to help protect workers, customers and the general public.
We have also developed guidance for transit agencies and passengers to help stop the spread of covid 19.
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Develop your COVID‑19 workplace safety plan
Learn how you can create a plan to help protect your workers and others from covid 19.
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Other helpful resources
- Learn how to organize a private covid 19 testing campaign at your workplace for asymptomatic individuals who are ineligible for testing under the covid 19 Provincial Testing Guidance.
- From the Government of Canada:
- Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses: covid 19 Small Business Help Centre
- Ontario Chamber of Commerce: Pandemic Preparedness Toolkit for covid 19 (PDF)
- Retail Council of Canada: Road to Retail Recovery Playbook
Help from the federal government
The Canadian government has made available supports for business during covid 19.
Mental health and addictions supports
If you or your employees are feeling anxious, experiencing other mental health or addiction challenges or you can’t access your regular in-person counselling support, there are services you can access online or by phone, including self-led support, peer support and internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy.
Find mental health supportIf you are currently receiving mental health and addictions services and supports, please contact your current service provider, including community-based mental health and addictions agencies. Many of these providers are modifying their services to move towards virtual care, meeting clients by phone or secure video-conferencing.
How you can help
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Ontario Together: Help fight COVID-19
Get free rapid tests, access funding, sell supplies to government, or search for PPE suppliers and testing services through our Ontario Together initiative.
Cut red tape for your business
We want to hear from you on the issues you’re dealing with as a business owner or representative. Tell us how we can reduce the regulatory burden to help make your business more competitive and support your investment in Ontario.
Related
- Support for businesses with fewer than 100 employees
- Ontario's Action Plan: Responding to COVID‑19
- Canada's COVID‑19 Economic Response Plan
- Report price gouging related to COVID‑19
- COVID‑19: Support for people
- COVID‑19: Support for students and parents
- COVID‑19: Support for workers
- COVID‑19: Stop the spread