Incentivising Employment during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This article considers government responses to unemployment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It analyses the two main legislative responses adopted by North American governments: a broadening of access to (un)employment insurance (EI) and the adoption of payroll subsidies for companies. It comparatively and critically assesses these two solutions, to eventually propose an alternative plan. Under this plan, access to EI would be broadened to cover those not traditionally covered by it, such as self-employed workers, contract workers, and those caring for a family member sick from COVID-19 or for a child who is at home due to school and day-care closures. Unemployed workers who have traditionally paid into the EI system would be rewarded through a tax credit. To avoid incentivising temporary layoffs, a payroll subsidy would be adopted. The subsidy would make it as attractive to keep workers on payroll as to lay them off so they can benefit from EI. It would also provide a more faithful picture of unemployment rates during the crisis. The plan would also address broader concerns regarding the unsustainability of public spending during the crisis by limiting access to both temporary layoffs and the payroll subsidy. Large and profitable companies, as well as companies with high revenue or cash reserves, would not be able to temporarily lay their employees off during the crisis or benefit from the subsidy. For companies that face liquidity issues yet are not eligible for the subsidy, short-term, interest-bearing emergency loans would be available.

The Changing Role of Audit Committee Responsibilities in the Light of COVID-19 Pandemic

“…A control system may be rendered irrelevant by individuals who are unavailable or unable to fulfill the responsibilities on which the system relies, or who fail to adapt controls to changes in the business environment and how those controls are performed remotely. Making sure that internal controls continue to function effectively should be a constant focus (Lord, 2020).…”

Electronic waste pollution and the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Therefore, the E-waste chain, including collection and transportation, has been severely affected. For instance, the quantity and collection frequency of E-waste were affected, workers availability and safety decreased, and there was an increase in retrenchment (Sharma et al 2020;Lord 2020;ILO 2020). The similarities between E-waste and the virus are explained in the following.…”

Kartu Prakerja (Pre-Employment Card) Policy and Its Impact on Economy and Community Income

“…According to Lord (2020), the government must quickly find tools to deal with the economic and health crisis in the current state. The government needs both to control and to ensure that program benefits really target those needed.…”