Recent surveys reveal companies hoping to keep their younger employees engaged with the business should look to charitable concerns for that motivation. Over three quarters of millennial workers look at the company’s charity activity in social and environmental areas before selecting a workplace, and two thirds of them will decline employment with companies that lack committed social responsibility activities. One suggestion some experts have for companies looking to boost charity operations at a low cost is to bring the very millennial employees they’re hoping to entice into the loop; tapping those employees’ skills to help non-profit charities.

Read more: How companies use giving to create social and business benefits

The laws that govern how taxes are calculated have changed again, and taxpayers should be aware of the new details before filing their 2017 returns. Among the changes are the elimination of the National Transit Tax Credit, a reduced small business tax to 10 percent, and the Military Tax Credit to exempt military salaries from federal income taxes. Family tax benefits have also been overhauled, which will affect Canadians filing returns that include child dependants. This includes the elimination of the Children’s Fitness and Arts Tax Credit and disability tax credit for eligible children, but an increase in the Canada Child Benefit and Child Disability Benefit. Students will also no longer be able to claim the federal education textbook and tax credits.

Read more: 5 Changes You Need To Know Before Filing Your Income Tax

Canadian legislators are still looking at possible tax changes in the Senate. The Finance Committee’s recently release report includes fresh recommendations for changes and tweaks to the Canadian tax code. One of the biggest suggestions was that the changes should be set aside, and the tax code instead be subjected to a much larger review leading to a complete overhaul. The backers of this proposal feel it would offer a much stronger chance to be fair to Canadian taxpayers that merely modifying the tax code again.

Read more: Once-In-A-Generation Tax Reform Isn’t The Best Path To Fairness

Tax and policy experts are not looking for Canada to open a front against the United States in the ongoing war over corporate tax cuts. Those same experts believe Canada has other options they can turn to in that conflict, rather than simply using a brute force approach such as raising corporate tax rates. Those choices include regulations that apply to corporate concerns, or adjusting the laws that apply to corporate investments. Carbon tax revenue is also on the table to encourage business activity.

Read more: Why Canada is unlikely to take a chainsaw to corporate tax rates in wake of U.S. cuts

Alberta’s small businesses are concerned over new labour laws. Small business advocates in Alberta are raising concerns about the timing of new provincial employment standards that are taking effect on January 1st, 2018, which may bring added costs as well as regulatory burdens to businesses. The new rules address minimum standards in a variety of areas, including overtime pay, job-protected leaves, compressed work weeks, youth employment and holiday pay. Changes to the Employment Standards Code haven’t been addressed for 30 years, so these new laws are to keep pace with changes in Alberta’s workplaces.

Read more: Alberta’s small businesses chafe under new labour laws

While Canadians continue to piling on a lot of debt, 25 percent say debt reduction their number-one priority according to a recent CIBC poll. Household debt rose to record levels in 2017, but a positive from the survey is that 1/3 are making the necessary adjustments. 46 percent say they reduced spending on non-essential items in 2017, and 31 percent made a household budget. Although it’s believed that the $1.3 trillion in Canadian mortgage debt is a prime reason why only 16 percent achieved their financial budgets. With rate hikes expected from the Bank of Canada in 2018, questions about the economy’s ability to cope have led to a reluctance to raise interest rates quickly.

Read more: Canadians are piling on debt, but still call debt reduction their top financial priority

According to Dan Kelly, President of CFIB, small businesses are facing a number of obstacles this coming year. Business owners are already starting to feel a little defeated with minimum wage hikes in many of the provinces and property-tax increases on commercial buildings. Another concern are the confusing new regulations around shared income in family businesses. These changes require a tax professional to help a business owner sort it out. Payroll taxes are also on the way up and the premiums on Canada Pension plans are also set to increase. Competition from America is another concern, especially with the U.S.’s most recent tax reform, which may encourage Canadian companies to relocate.

Read more: CFIB’s 12 things small businesses will be watching out for in 2018

Michael Noble, owner of two prominent Calgary restaurants was recently forced to pay his staff of 140 people for New Year’s day despite neither location being open. Because new labour laws that went into effect that day, it requires employers to provide holiday pay regardless of whether an employee works it or not. For Noble, it cost him $11,000 in statutory holiday pay. This shows the struggle small businesses in Alberta face with these changes. Many businesses will have to likely look to cut staff and/or benefits because of this change, among other ways to cut costs.

Read more: New rules cost Calgary restaurateur $11K in stat holiday pay for staff

New rules in the Municipal Government Act will allow local governments the ability to offer tax relief to small businesses. Many of these businesses have been hit by the economic downturn as well as tax changes, so this is one way Alberta’s cities and towns can help struggling businesses. The new rules give local governments the ability to create a small-business property tax subclass and to charge them up to 25 percent less. It isn’t mandatory, and there is plenty of flexibility for municipalities to determine what is a small business and what kind of cuts to provide.

Read more: New tools permit tax cuts for Alberta small businesses but impact unclear yet

January 1st brought with it changes to laws, regulations and taxes. For small businesses, this means a federal tax rate drop from 10.5 percent to 10 percent. There be a slight increase in EI premiums, which will add an estimated $6 in costs for the average worker and $13 per employee. While not immediate, the federal government has given a deadline of this summer to legalize marijuana. Provincially, Alberta residents will also see the carbon tax increase from $20 per tonne to $30. Alberta’s minimum increase to $15 doesn’t take effect until October 1st.

Read more: New year rings in changes to laws, taxes, wages