Ontario Filing Requirements for Statements of Investment Policies and Procedures and Form 14

Recent amendments to Ontario’s Pension Benefits Act regulations now require that administrators of Ontario registered pension plans file Statements of Investment Policies and Procedures (“SIPPs”) with the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (“FSCO”), together with a detailed information summary form (“Form 14”). We discuss these new filing requirements and supporting FSCO resources in this FTR…

ORPP Implementation Delayed to January 1, 2018

On February 16, 2016, the Ontario government announced that the first wave of Ontario Registered Pension Plan (“ORPP”) implementation has been delayed by one year to January 1, 2018. This change, which impacts certain large employers with more than 500 employees, is one of several significant developments outlined in this FTR Now. THE ANNOUNCEMENT The…

Court Recognizes New Privacy Tort: “Public Disclosure of Embarrassing Private Facts”

In a case that can only add to the risk of privacy claims faced by organizations, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice recently awarded damages based on the new tort of “public disclosure of embarrassing private facts.” In Doe 464533 v N.D., the Court awarded damages to a plaintiff whose former boyfriend coaxed her to…

Court of Appeal Rejects Use of “Snapshot” Approach to Determine Exclusivity in Contractor Relationships

Employment relationships generally fall into one of three categories: employee, dependent contractor or independent contractor. Exclusivity is often a key consideration when determining what category applies. Recently, the Court of Appeal for Ontario considered the degree of exclusivity required in a dependent contractor relationship in Keenan v. Canac Kitchens Ltd. In Keenan, the plaintiffs had…

PTSD Strategy Announced by Ontario

On February 1, 2016, the Ontario government announced new initiatives designed to address post-traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”) suffered by first responders. The initiatives build on the feedback received by the government at its Summit on Work-Related Traumatic Mental Stress, hosted by the Minister of Labour in March 2015. In this FTR Now, we review these…

New Proposed Federal Bill to Reverse Canada Labour Code Certification and Decertification Reforms, C-377 Union Disclosure Obligations

Further to its election platform, on January 28, 2016, the federal government introduced Bill C-4, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code, the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act, the Public Service Labour Relations Act and the Income Tax Act. Among other things, this legislation would, if passed, amend the Canada Labour Code (“CLC”) to effectively repeal…

Ontario Government Announces Additional ORPP Design Details

Editor’s Note: Following publication of this communication, the Ontario government announced that the first wave of ORPP implementation will be delayed by one year to January 1, 2018. Please be sure to read our FTR Now of February 17, 2016 for updated information on this significant development, or contact your regular Hicks Morley lawyer for…

Ontario Government Announces New ORPP Design Details

On January 26, 2016, the Ontario government announced new Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (“ORPP”) design details. Among other things, the announcement provides further clarity and guidance on the following issues of particular interest to employers: coverage, and in particular the definition of “employment in Ontario,” as well as application of the ORPP to non-residents and…