On November 6, 2013, Bill 32, the Registered Human Resources Professionals Act, 2013, passed Third Reading and received Royal Assent, as amended by the Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills. The Committee amendments add “Certified Human Capital Professional” and “Certified Human Capital Leader” to the Designations in Table 1. As previously reported, Bill 32…
Industry: Financial Services
2014 EI Rates Set, Pension and Retirement Savings Limits Announced
Further to the federal government’s announcement in September, on November 2, 2013, HRSDC published a Resolution providing notice that the 2014 employment insurance (“EI”) premium rate for 2014 for residents of all provinces (with the exception of Québec) is maintained at $1.88 per $100 of insurable earnings. The 2014 EI premium rate for Québec residents is…
2013 Federal Budget No. 2 (Bill C-4)
On October 22, 2013, the federal government introduced the Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 2, omnibus legislation that would, if passed, implement measures from the Economic Action Plan 2013 (the 2013 Budget), as well as certain previously announced tax measures. Budget Bill items of interest to employers, human resources professionals and pension plan administrators…
Ontario Court of Appeal Decision Underscores Importance of Properly Drafted Restrictive Covenants
A recent decision of the Court of Appeal for Ontario reinforces the importance of carefully drafting restrictive covenants and considering what evidence is necessary to succeed on a summary judgment motion. The claim arose when individual employees left their employer to work for a competitor. The former employees were all subject to the same “non-competition”…
Federal Government Announces Budget Bill No. 2
On October 22, 2013, the federal government announced the introduction of the Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 2. The Bill would, if passed, implement key measures from Economic Action Plan 2013 (the Budget), as well as certain previously announced tax measures. Among other things, the Bill would: freeze Employment Insurance premium rates for three…
Manitoba Passes Private Sector Privacy Legislation
On September 12, 2013, Bill 211 The Personal Information Protection and Identity Theft Prevention Act, a Private Member’s Bill, passed Third Reading in the Manitoba Legislature. It received Royal Assent on September 13, 2013. Subject to specified exemptions, Bill 211 will apply to all organizations in the province (including private sector organizations) and will govern…
Ontario Introduces Bill to Amend the Employer Health Tax Act
On September 24, 2013, the Ontario government introduced Bill 105, Supporting Small Businesses Act, 2013. Among other things, the Bill would, if passed, amend the Employer Health Tax Act to increase the exemption amount for eligible employers to $450,000 for the calendar years 2014 to 2018, after which an exemption amount would be adjusted every…
Leaves to Help Families Act Passes Second Reading
On September 25, 2013, Bill 21, Employment Standards Amendment Act (Leaves to Help Families), 2013 passed Second Reading in the Ontario Legislature and was referred to the Standing Committee on General Government. As previously reported, if passed, Bill 21 would allow eligible employees to take the following job-protected unpaid leaves of absence: Family Caregiver Leave…
Raising the Bar – Sixth Edition
“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind. “ C.S. Lewis Dear Friends, Welcome back from the summer! We hope that all of our readers had a chance to get in some rest and relaxation with friends and family over the past few months, and we are sure that you…
Ontario Court Upholds Forfeiture-On-Resignation Provision of Equity Incentive Plan
In a decision released on September 12, 2013,[1] the Ontario Superior Court of Justice upheld the enforceability of a provision of an employer’s incentive compensation plan pursuant to which unmatured awards are forfeited upon an employee’s resignation. The Court held that the provision was a permissible loyalty incentive rather than an unlawful restraint on trade….