On September 14, 2012, the 2013 employment insurance premium rate for residents of all provinces (with the exception of Québec) was set at $1.88 per $100 of insurable earnings by resolution of the Canada Employment Insurance Financing Board. The 2013 employment insurance premium rate for Québec residents was set at $1.52 per $100 of insurable…
Industry: Energy & Utilities
2013 Basic Rate Set By Superintendent of Financial Institutions
On September 7, 2012, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions set the basic rate for the Office year beginning on April 1, 2013 at $10.00, pursuant to the Assessment of Pension Plans Regulations. This rate applies to pension plans with a year-end between October 1, 2012, and September 30, 2013 and for newly…
October 1 Deadline to Display New Health and Safety Poster
Ontario employers must find room on their bulletin boards by October 1, 2012 to display a new Ministry of Labour poster entitled “Health and Safety at Work: Prevention Starts Here.” The poster was developed in response to a recommendation of the Expert Advisory Panel to review Ontario’s occupational health and safety system and summarizes key…
Ontario Releases Draft Compensation Restraint Legislation for Consultation
On September 26, 2012, the government announced draft omnibus legislation, the Protecting Public Services Act, 2012 (the “Draft Bill”), that would implement new, substantially more restrictive compensation restraint measures, and impose a significant new provincially mandated collective bargaining regime, for the Broader Public Sector (“BPS”).
Federal Government Introduces Helping Families in Need Act
On September 20, 2012, the federal government introduced Bill C-44, the Helping Families in Need Act, legislation that would, if passed, amend (among other things) both the Employment Insurance Act (“EI Act”) and the Canada Labour Code as follows: the EI Act will provide for a new specified sickness benefit for parents receiving EI parental…
Survivor Benefits Amendments Proclaimed in Force October 1, 2012
On September 8, 2012, amendments to section 44 of the Pension Benefits Act were proclaimed in force effective October 1, 2012. Specifically, the amendments clarify (1) that survivor benefits can be reduced on the death of either spouse, and (2) that consent will be required in order to commute small survivor benefits where the member…
Family Caregiver Leave Bill Passes Second Reading, Referred to Committee
On September 6, 2012, Bill 30, Family Caregiver Leave Act (Employment Standards Amendment), 2011 carried at Second Reading and was referred to the Standing Committee on Social Policy. As previously reported, Bill 30 would, if passed, amend the Employment Standards Act, 2000 to create Family Caregiver Leave. The leave would be available to all full-time,…
Québec VRSPs Bill Expires on Order Paper
As previously reported, in its March 2012 Budget the Québec government signalled its commitment to establish Voluntary Retirement Savings Plans (“VRSPs”), mandatory group pension plans that all employers in Québec employing at least five employees would have been required to implement, if they did not already provide a retirement savings plan for employees. The VRSPs…
Fall 2012 Safety Blitzes Announced by Ontario Government
The Ontario government has announced the launch of four targeted safety blitzes at workplaces across the province this Fall. The planned blitzes will focus on: supervision at construction sites (September and October); machine guarding hazards and repetitive strain injuries in manufacturing and industrial workplaces (October and November); infection prevention and control in health care workplaces…
Pay Equity Guide Now Available
The Pay Equity Commission has published “A Guide to Interpreting Ontario’s Pay Equity Act” (August 2012). The Guide provides an overview of the interpretation by the Pay Equity Office of the minimum requirements of the Pay Equity Act, and is primarily intended to provide employers with guidance as to their obligations under that legislation. View…