UPFRONT | Columnist BUSINESS TALK Curb The CERB B How the Canada Emergency Response Benefit fund hurts small business BY DR. ANTHONY J. LOMBARDI contractors under the terms of their fall.” According to the results of a weekly contract which typically allows clinic survey the Canadian Federation of owners to dismiss self-employed con-Independent Business conducted of its tractors within 30 days notice – or membership between July 3 and July 6, earlier if they create problems which of the 868 businesses who explained disrupt the balance of their business. The good news is that employees and why employees turned them down, the top reasons cited included a preference independent contractors who strategi-to remain on the CERB, health con-cally manipulate their hours to mini-mize their contribution to the work-cerns, and child-care challenges. The CERB was meant to support place for the sole purpose of qualifying workers who had lost their job because for the CERB will face consequences. of the pandemic. A person qualifies for The Canada Revenue Agency an-CERB if they do not expect to earn nounced they are flagging these indi-more than $1,000 in employment or viduals. This would put them in danger self-employment income for at least 14 of future trust exams (a nicer term that days in a row during a four-week pe-means audit). riod. It’s not clear how many people are The take home message should be opting to continue receiving the bene-this: From mid-March to early June fits even though they can return to many chiropractors were only able to work. Kelly says that the federal gov-treat emergency pain patients. They ernment is looking to introduce new went into their offices during a time of guidelines, which would in-extreme uncertainty. There clude an end to benefits if an The problem is were no directives for doctor or that human patient PPE use at that time employee is called back. But how about in clinics? I nature is often because the information on spoke anonymously to four persuaded by that subject was mixed at best. chiropractic clinic owners the temptation Those chiropractors who chose from across Canada and they to help those in pain were in of taking are aghast at the way their advantage of a the line of fire. This is why it is employees and independent situation...and upsetting when I hear stories contractors (DCs, RMTs, that health professionals and it’s killing PTs, etc.) are balking at a support staff are abusing the small return to work in favour of system. If you do not want to businesses. work or if you feel unsafe, then collecting the CERB. These non-returnees reportedly are not ex-stop practicing. empted under the law. One clinic But seriously, we can generate owner told me that the independent $2,000 in one day of work. If you are contractors are declining patient book-deliberately not going to work just to ings or drastically reducing hours so collect $2,000 in one whole month -that they fall under the $1,000 exemp-then Covid-19 is not the biggest prob-tion. Others have fired the independent lem in your practice. Visit us online at CNDOCTOR.CA and be sure to SUBSCRIBE to our once weekly e-newsletter, as well as our digital edition of the magazine. www.Cndoctor.ca y now the Coronavirus has become a household name across our country and the world. The CERB or Can-ada Emergency Response Benefit is also a common acronym that Canadians have grown to love – and dislike. To refresh our memory, the CERB was a monthly handout to Ca-nadians not being able to work due to pandemic-related work stoppage. The benefit is essentially $2,000 per month from April through August (as of press time). The government, in response to this emergency, wanted to make sure everyone had the money to gather the essentials during the lockdown. This, on paper, was a superb idea. The prob-lem is that human nature often is per-suaded by the temptation of taking advantage of the situation. And sure enough, that’s what some people are doing and it’s killing small businesses. Once the country re-opened and businesses returned to work -not all employees returned with them. People began to figure out that instead of go-ing to work they could stay home and do nothing – and still collect $2,000. However this was against the law unless they were 70 years old or older, had children, or had the coronavirus or have a compromised immume system. Canadian Federation of Independent Business president Dan Kelly said that there are business owners testifying that their workers are refusing to return to work. Kelly asserts that many work-ers are saying: “You know, I’m good. My bills are being paid. I’m just going to take the rest of the summer off, see how things go and give me a call in the ANTHONY LOMBARDI, DC, is a private consultant to athletes in the NFL, CFL and NHL, and founder of the Hamilton Back Clinic, a multidisciplinary clinic. He teaches his fundamental EXSTORE Assessment System and practice building workshops to various health professionals. For more information, visit www.exstore.ca. 10 Chiropractic and Naturopathic Doctor September 2020
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