On December 6, 2018, Bill 57, Restoring Trust, Transparency and Accountability Act, 2018 passed Third Reading and received Royal Assent. On the same date, the government tabled Bill 66, Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, 2018, omnibus legislation which, if passed, will make significant amendments to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA), the Labour Relations Act, 1995 (LRA), the Pension Benefits Act (PBA) and other statutes.
Practice Area: Pension, Benefits & Executive Compensation
New Enhancements to OMERS Benefits – What Employers Need to Know
Recently approved pension changes to the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System may increase employer pension costs and have impacts on workforce management. The OMERS Sponsors Corporation recently completed a Comprehensive Plan Review, which involved consideration of several proposed changes to the plan design and benefits.
Bill 57 Referred to Committee – Note Short Deadline for Making Submissions
On November 28, 2018, Bill 57, the Restoring Trust, Transparency and Accountability Act, 2018, was referred to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs (Committee). The Committee will meet on Monday December 3, 2018 for public hearings on the Bill. Any request to appear before the Committee must be submitted to the Clerk of…
Federal Government Issues Fall Economic Statement
On November 21, 2018, the federal government issued its Fall Economic Statement 2018, “Investing in Middle Class Jobs” (Statement). Among other things, the Statement: reiterates the Budget 2018 commitment of an evidence-based approach towards addressing retirement security and announces that targeted consultations will soon be launched as the government continues to explore ways to enhance…
The Outlook is More Change: Ontario Proposes Significant Reforms to Pension and Employment-Related Statutes
The Ontario government’s Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review (Fiscal Review) and supporting omnibus legislation, Bill 57, the Restoring Trust, Transparency and Accountability Act, 2018 (Bill 57), propose a number of significant reforms and initiatives to pension, benefit, tax and employment-related legislation that will impact your workplace and pension plan administration. Bill 57 also contains proposals related specifically to fire services, which were outlined in our prior communication, Ontario Government Tables Legislation Impacting Bargaining and Interest Arbitration in the Fire Sector.
Ontario Proposes Significant Reforms to Pension and Employment-Related Statutes
On November 15, 2018, the Ontario government introduced Bill 57, the Restoring Trust, Transparency and Accountability Act, 2018, omnibus legislation supporting key reforms outlined in the 2018 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review (Fiscal Review), titled, “A Plan For the People,” which was also released on that date.
FTR Quarterly – Issue 11
In This Issue Considering Cannabis Coverage under Benefits Plans Recreational Cannabis and Your Workplace: Five Steps to Consider Featured Topic – Cannabis Expertise Featured Articles Considering Cannabis Coverage under Benefits Plans By: Natasha D. Monkman With the legalization of recreational cannabis on October 17, 2018, employers across Canada have been preparing to answer questions about whether…
Federal Government Proposes Significant Workplace Law Reforms
On October 29, 2018, the federal government tabled Bill C-86, the Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 2, omnibus legislation giving effect to certain initiatives in its 2018 Federal Budget. If passed, the Bill will make substantial changes to the Canada Labour Code and enact a federal Pay Equity Act, among other things. For federally regulated…
Early Effective Date Announced for New Federal Parental Sharing Benefit
The government has announced that the new federal Parental Sharing Benefit will launch on March 17, 2019. As we previously reported, the 2018 federal Budget (Budget) proposed to establish an additional Parental Sharing Benefit with the goal of encouraging parents to share Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. The intended goal of this reform was to allow…
2018 Federal Budget Bill Passes
On June 21, 2018, Bill C-74, the Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 1, received Royal Assent. Bill C-74 is omnibus legislation enacting some of the measures outlined in the 2018 Federal Budget. Among other things, it includes amendments to the following: Employment Insurance Act, to permanently implement the Working While on Claim pilot project; Canada…