On June 10, 2019, the Ontario government filed a number of amendments to regulations made under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. O. Reg. 186/19 replaces the “Equivalency” provision of Regulation 851 (Industrial Establishments) with a new provision entitled “Alternative methods and materials.” It now requires employers to provide written notice to the joint health…
Industry: Financial Services
Significant Canada Labour Code Reforms to Come Into Force September 1, 2019
The federal government has proclaimed September 1, 2019 as the coming into force date for several changes to the Canada Labour Code (Code) as enacted by Bill C-63, the Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 2 (Bill C-63). As a result of co-ordinated coming into force provisions, a number of substantive amendments to the Code contained in Bill C-86, the Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 2 (Bill C-86) will also come into force on September 1, 2019.
Ontario Clarifies DB Funding Reforms under the Pension Benefits Act
On May 21, 2019, the Ontario government filed Regulation 105/19 amending Regulation 909 (General Regulation) under the Pension Benefits Act (PBA). The amendments mainly relate to clarifying elements of the defined benefit (DB) funding rules that took effect on May 1, 2018. Many of the new clarifications have been requested by the pension industry over…
Ontario Budget Bill (Bill 100) Passes
As previously reported, on April 11, 2019, the Ontario government released its 2019 Budget and introduced Bill 100, Protecting What Matters Most Act (Budget Measures), 2019. Bill 100 received Royal Assent on May 29, 2019. Of particular interest to employers and human resource professionals are the amendments made to the following statutes: Public Sector Labour…
The End of Health and Welfare Trusts: Proposed Amendments to the Income Tax Act (Canada)
On May 27, 2019, the federal Department of Finance announced proposed amendments to the Income Tax Act (Canada) (ITA), to facilitate the conversion of existing Health and Welfare Trusts (HWTs) into Employee Life and Health Trusts (ELHTs), and to improve the existing ELHT rules. Comments on the proposed ITA amendments are invited by July 31, 2019…
Yours to Discover: 10 Tips for Navigating the Documentary Discovery Process
In this issue of Raising the Bar, we share 10 tips and best practices to guide employers embarking upon their next trip through the document discovery process in a manner that is not only compliant with their legal obligations, but also controlled, strategic and cost-effective.
Proposed Violence and Harassment Regulations Open for Comment
On April 27, 2019, the government of Canada published proposed regulations for comment concerning harassment and violence prevention in the workplace.
Accommodating Medical Marijuana
Accommodating medicinal cannabis requires balancing an employee’s rights under the Human Rights Code with an employer’s obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of workers. These obligations are especially pronounced in workplaces that include safety-sensitive positions.
Changes to Ontario’s Annuity Purchase and Discharge Rules – Bill 57 Amendments and Draft Supporting Regulations
New draft regulations support and provide additional details respecting the rules governing annuity purchases and related statutory discharges under the Pension Benefits Act. Learn more in this FTR Now.
Ontario’s New Variable Benefits Regime for Defined Contribution Plans – Draft Regulations
With the release of draft regulations, Ontario moves a step closer to allowing variable benefits to be paid directly from defined contribution pension plans.