MONTRÉAL, March 27, 2020 /CNW
Telbec/ - To safeguard the health and safety of Quebecers, the
Québec government has issued a ministerial order requiring
businesses deemed non-essential to close. Regretfully, as a result
Quebecor has had to temporarily lay off 10% of its workforce. The
Corporation will provide support and financial assistance to
minimize the impact on employees.
"Since the beginning of the crisis, the entire Quebecor family
has shown solidarity and has been doing its part in this
unprecedented situation that affects us all," said Pierre Karl
Péladeau, President and CEO of Quebecor. "The suspension of
business activities deemed non-essential has curtailed the
operations of many of our business partners and has therefore led
to a significant slowdown in some of our business segments, making
this difficult decision unavoidable.
"At this time, our priority is to protect the health and safety
of our employees, while continuing to provide Quebecers with
essential telecommunications and news services. In a spirit of
loyalty and gratitude to the employees affected by these temporary
layoffs, we have moved quickly to put in place a series of
financial assistance and support measures to minimize as much as
possible the impact of this period of uncertainty," Mr. Péladeau
added.
Assistance and support for employees
Quebecor will top up the government assistance to cover 95% of
the salary of employees with an annual salary under $54,200. Those employees will also be able to
take a 2-week advance on their salary to cover the waiting period
for government assistance. For employees with a salary of more than
$54,200, the Corporation will top up
the government assistance to cover 80% of salary, up to a salary
ceiling of $80,000. The group
insurance and pension plans will be maintained and the employer
will continue making contributions if the employee continues to do
so.
These measures apply to all permanent and temporary employees.
They will come into effect on Monday, March
30 and continue through May
31. As the situation develops or if there are changes in the
government assistance programs, these measures may be harmonized
accordingly.
Over the past few weeks, Quebecor and its subsidiaries have
implemented a number of special protection, prevention and support
measures for their employees, partners and customers. For more
information: https://bit.ly/2Um6dJV
About Quebecor
Quebecor, a Canadian leader in telecommunications,
entertainment, news media and culture, is one of the
best-performing integrated communications companies in the
industry. Driven by their determination to deliver the best
possible customer experience, all of Quebecor's subsidiaries and
brands are differentiated by their high-quality, multiplatform,
convergent products and services.
Québec-based Quebecor (TSX: QBR.A) (TSX: QBR.B) employs
more than 10,000 people in Canada.
A family business founded in 1950, Quebecor is strongly
committed to the community. Every year, it actively supports more
than 400 organizations in the vital fields of culture, health,
education, the environment and entrepreneurship.
Visit our website: www.quebecor.com
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/Quebecor
SOURCE Quebecor