The $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package enacted in March provided two principal kinds of assistance to encourage businesses not to fire or furlough employees.
The Paycheck Protection Program offers loans to businesses with fewer than 500 employees which will be completely forgiven if used as intended by the law. An Employee Retention Credit is available to all companies. It incentivizes employee retention through a refundable tax credit that offsets some wages paid by employers affected by the shutdown.