Work-Sharing Program - Temporary special measures for the downturn in the forestry and steel and aluminum sector  

The Government of Canada has put in place Work-Sharing (WS) temporary special measures for employers affected by the downturn in the forestry and steel and aluminum sector.

These measures extend the duration of Work-Sharing agreements by an additional 38 weeks, for a total of 76 weeks. The mandatory waiting period has also been waived so that employers with a recently expired agreement may immediately apply for a new agreement, without waiting between applications.

Forestry sector

Temporary special measures are effective July 30, 2017 to March 28, 2020.

Eligibility

You are eligible to apply if your business has been directly or indirectly affected by the downturn in the forestry sector and if you:

• had a WS agreement that ended between October 30, 2016 and July 29, 2017;
• have a WS agreement that will be signed between July 30, 2017 and March 28, 2020 (with an agreement start date no later than March 29, 2020); or
• have a WS agreement that will begin or end between July 30, 2017 and March 28, 2020.

Steel and aluminum sector

Temporary special measures are effective August 19, 2018 to March 27, 2021.

Eligibility

You are eligible to apply if your business has been directly or indirectly affected by the downturn in the steel and aluminum sector and if you:

• had a WS agreement that ended between November 25, 2017 and August 18, 2018;
• have a WS agreement that will be signed between August 19, 2018 and March 27, 2021 (with an agreement start date no later than March 28, 2021); or
• have a WS agreement that will begin or end between August 19, 2018 and March 27, 2021.

How to apply

**Please refer to the WS Applicant guide for the temporary special measures  for more information on how to complete your application.**

If you are applying for a new agreement or had a WS agreement that ended between October 30, 2016, and July 29, 2017 (for the forestry sector) or between November 25, 2018 and August 18, 2018 (for the steel and aluminum sector), you must submit the following documents:

• EMP 5100 - Application for a Work-Sharing agreement  
• EMP 5101 - Attachment A: Work-Sharing unit attachment - signed by each employee (for non-union agreements) or by a union representative
• EMP 5105 - Attachment B: Recovery Plan for special measures
• Sales and/or production figures for the last two years

If you currently have a 38-week agreement in place, and are applying for the 38-week extension, you must submit the following documents:

• EMP 5103 - Amendment to a Work-Sharing Agreement  
• EMP 5101 - Attachment A: Work-Sharing Unit Attachment - signed by each employee (for non-union agreements) or by a union representative
• EMP 5105 - Attachment B: Recovery Plan for special measures
• Sales and/or production figures for the last two years

Please apply at least 30 days before you want the temporary special measures to begin.

Submit your completed documents at your nearest Service Canada Centre or by mail to the closest Service Canada address:

Contact us

For more information on the Work-Sharing Program, call the following toll-free number:
1-800-367-5693 (TTY: 1-855-881-9874).

Related links

• WS applicant guide for temporary special measures (PDF 145.80 KB)
• Employer responsibilities guide (PDF 100.44 KB)
• Employee guide (PDF 88.11 KB)
• Work-Sharing Program