GN and GoC offer support to essential workers

Public Service Announcement

GN and GoC offer support to essential workers

Effective June 1, the Government of Nunavut (GN) is launching a new program to financially support essential workers in key sectors.

Through the Nunavut Essential Workers Wage Premium (NEWWP), the GN’s Department of Finance will provide eligible employers in the territory with funding to pass on to their employees as a wage premium for the hours they work.

A wage premium is an extra amount that employers pay their employees on top of their regular pay. Employees earning less than $25 per hour in base wages may be eligible for a premium up to $5 per hour.

To start, the program is open to private, non-profit and not-for-profit employers that provide services of a health or social nature to vulnerable Nunavummiut (e.g. food banks, shelters, group homes, care facilities, etc.), as well as to licensed daycares. The GN expects to expand the list of eligible employers to other sectors over time.

The premium will apply to hours worked over a 16-week period beginning anytime between May 1 and June 15, 2020. The starting date of this eligible period is selected by the employer.

Funding for this initiative is provided by the Government of Canada, as part of its wider support for Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information and to apply for this program, visit https://gov.nu.ca/finance/information/newwp.

If you have any questions, or to submit completed application forms, please email @email.

Quick Facts:

• The Nunavut Essential Workers Wage Premium (NEWWP) applies to full-time, part-time, and casual Nunavut workers earning less than $25 per hour and working in eligible sectors.
• Workers earning less than or equal to $20 per hour will be eligible for the full $5 wage premium. Workers earning between $20 and $25 per hour will receive a lower premium that will bring wages up to $25 per hour. Workers earning more than $25 per hour are not eligible to receive a premium.
• Employers (not individuals) must apply to the program and will need to provide basic information about their workforce.
• The GN’s Department of Finance is administering the Nunavut Essential Workers Wage Premium as a contribution. The contribution policy supporting the program is available on the department’s website: https://gov.nu.ca/finance/information/newwp.
• Employees of the federal and territorial governments, as well as their associated agencies, are not eligible for the premium.
• The Government of Canada is fully funding the program.

Additional Resources:

Nunavummiut can find accurate, up-to-date information on the GN’s coronavirus response at https://gov.nu.ca/health/information/covid-19-novel-coronavirus.

Government of Canada: https://canada.ca/coronavirus.

Government of Canada toll-free information line: 1-833-784-4397

###

Media Contact:

Weichien Chan
Manager, Communications
Department of Finance
867-975-6818
@email