Good afternoon,

It’s hard to believe we are now past the two-month mark since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. Since that time, on top of dealing with the disruptions that came with the measures our public health authorities have put in place to keep us safe, many of you have endured long work days, learned new jobs, and provided support to Canadians during this crisis of unprecedented proportions.

Many of you are doing your part by staying home and keeping your families and your communities safe while working odd hours of the day to balance family and work responsibilities. We want to once again thank each and every one of you for your tireless support to the government’s efforts towards flattening the curve of new infections across Canada.

As the COVID-19 situation evolves, the Agency continues to deliver the services that are critical to Canadians. As these critical services continue to expand, we are extending the Canada Revenue Agency’s operations under the Business Continuity Plan until June 26. The latest CRA National COVID-19 Business Continuity Plan (BCP) highlights the new critical services that are included as of today. Please contact your manager if you have any questions.

The majority of employees who are able to are working – performing both critical and non-critical services. Thank you to everyone who has been providing support where it is most needed. We understand that many of your daily tasks under the BCP may not be part of your regular workload and there remains work on hold. As we move forward in these uncertain times, workloads will continue to be brought back online when feasible and appropriate. The Agency is developing a longer-term path forward, scheduling when and how to reintegrate the Agency’s remaining workloads with the necessary health and safety guidelines in place.

While some jurisdictions are announcing plans to begin easing restrictions and gradually re-open economies, physical distancing requirements remain in place across the country, and those able to work remotely are asked to continue doing so. As always, our utmost priority remains the health and safety of our employees and we continue to engage with our union partners in our future planning.

We launched an employee survey last week to gather your valuable input and these survey results will help inform our future thinking. As business resumption planning proceeds, each branch management team will share information with their employees as it becomes available. To keep up to date on developments, please visit the COVID-19: Information for Canada Revenue Agency employees webpage or follow our social media networks Facebook, Twitter and our RSS feed.

You may be wondering when this will all be over and these ongoing times of uncertainty may be taking a toll on you and your family. If you need an outlet, remember that you can call the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)—they are there to listen to and support you and your family members.

As Canadians continue to seek help during this time, you continue to be there for them, providing them with access to emergency benefits and subsidies. You should be proud—we are, and we thank you.