Industry: Social Services

Regulations Filed Supporting Discharge of Pension Plan Administrator Upon Purchase of Annuities

· 1 min read

On April 3, 2018, the government filed O. Reg. 193/18 (Purchase of Pension Benefits From an Insurance Company – Section 43.1 of the Act) under the Pension Benefits Act (PBA), which complements the recent funding reforms announced for defined benefit pension (DB) plans (the Regulation). As previously discussed, the government proposed rules to support a discharge…

Bill 148 and Collective Bargaining in the Social Services Sector

· 12 min read

Many Social Services agencies across Ontario are currently in collective bargaining, or will be shortly. With key Bill 148 amendments to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA), the Labour Relations Act, 1995 (LRA) and the Occupational Health and Safety Act now in force, planning your strategic approach is essential to achieving outcomes that will work for your organization, and support your mandate. Learn how you can prepare for the bargaining table in this FTR Now..

MOL’s ESA Guide Update for Equal Pay Provisions

· 2 min read

We recently reported on the coming into force of the equal pay for equal work changes under Bill 148, Reminder: Equal Pay for Equal Work Provisions in Force April 1, 2018. The Ministry of Labour has recently updated its online Guide to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (Guide) to address equal pay for equal work…

2018 Ontario Budget Tabled

· 1 min read

On March 28, 2018, the Ontario government tabled its Budget 2018, A Plan for Care and Opportunity. We are currently reviewing the Budget and an FTR Now highlighting initiatives of particular interest to employers, human resource professionals and pension plan administrators will be available shortly on our website.

WSIA Amendments Imposing Costs for Workplace Accidents on Clients of Temporary Help Agencies Still Awaiting Proclamation

· 1 min read

In 2014, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 (WSIA) was amended by Bill 18, the Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act, 2014, to enact a broad regulation-making power with respect to injuries incurred by temporary help agency assignment employees who are injured while working for a client of the agency. Specifically, the injury…

Ontario Re-Introduces Pay Transparency Legislation 

· 1 min read

On March 20, 2018, the Ontario government reintroduced its pay transparency legislation in the form of Bill 3, Pay Transparency Act, 2018. See our post of March 6, 2018, Ontario Introduces Pay Transparency Legislation, for more information about the Bill. The earlier iteration of this Bill had died on the order paper when the Legislature…

Ontario’s Proposed New Anti-Racism Standards

· 6 min read

As we previously reported, the Ontario Anti -Racism Act (ARA) came into force on June 1, 2017. One of the purposes behind the ARA is to allow certain organizations to collect information that will be used to identify and monitor systematic racism and racial disparities for the purpose of eliminating systemic racism and advancing racial…

Ontario Publishes Description of Proposed Variable Benefits Regulations for DC Plans

· 3 min read

The Ontario government posted a description of proposed regulations on March 20, 2018 enabling it to implement the variable benefit (VB) provisions applicable to defined contribution (DC) plans under the Ontario Pension Benefits Act (PBA). Background – DC Decumulation Currently, Ontario members of DC plans who have terminated their employment with the plan sponsor and…

Reminder: Equal Pay for Equal Work Provisions in Force April 1, 2018

· 2 min read

On April 1, 2018, amendments to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 regarding equal pay for equal work will come into force. Among other things, the provisions prohibit employers from paying different rates of pay to their employees because of a difference in employment status, where the employees perform substantially the same kind of work in…