Practice Area: Pension, Benefits & Executive Compensation

2018 EI Premium Rate, Maximum Insurable Earnings Set

· 1 min read

The Canada Employment Insurance Commission (CEIC) has set the 2018 Employment Insurance (EI) premium rate at$1.66 per $100 of insurable earnings. This represents a 3 cent increase for employees over the 2017 rate, and 4 cents for employers who pay 1.4 times the employee rate. For Quebec residents covered under the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan,…

Employee Discounts: To Tax, or Not to Tax? That is Indeed the Question

· 2 min read

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)’s recently revised position on employee discounts is attracting significant media coverage. In 2016, the CRA published an updated technical document on “Benefits and Allowances Received from Employment” (Income Tax Folio S2-F3-C2*), which provides that employee discounts on merchandise for less than fair market value are considered taxable benefits under the…

Change on the Horizon: Ontario Pension Plan Funding Reform is Coming Soon

· 14 min read

Earlier this year, the Ontario government announced proposed reforms to pension plan funding that will have a significant impact on employers and plan administrators with plans registered in Ontario. These changes are expected to be part of the government’s Fall agenda, and will be of particular interest to employers who provide single employer defined benefit (DB) pension plans or participate in multi-employer pension plans (MEPPs) in Ontario.

Employees on LTD Not Automatically Entitled to Continued Employment for Purposes of Maintaining Group Benefits Coverage

· 3 min read

In a recent decision, Corporation of the Township of Langley v. Canada Union of Public Employees, Local 403, the British Columbia Labour Relations Board set aside and ordered the reconsideration of an arbitration decision in which the Arbitrator had ruled that terminations of several employees on long-term disability (LTD) was discriminatory. Each of the terminated…

Addressing the Retirement System “Gap”: PRPPs Now Available in Ontario

· 9 min read

In 2012, the federal government introduced a new type of tax-preferential workplace pension plan, the Pooled Registered Pension Plan (PRPP). Ontario is one of six Canadian provinces to have incorporated PRPP legislation into its existing provincial retirement framework, through the implementation of legislation last Fall. In this FTR Now, we explain the key features of…

FTR Quarterly – Issue 6

· 16 min read

In This Issue Gender Identity and Gender Expression: Best Practices for Employers and Service Providers FTRQ&A – Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act Quick Hit – Changing Workplaces Review: A Bill 148 Timeline The Dos & Don’ts of Employment Reference Letters: Best Practices for Employers Featured Lawyer – Simon Mortimer Featured Group – Pay Equity Featured Articles…

Executive Compensation for Ontario BPS Organizations – A Summary of Recent Changes

· 12 min read

On June 8 and 9, 2017, the Ontario government made a series of significant changes to the BPSECA Executive Compensation Framework. The changes include amendments to the content required of compensation programs, the timing of the development of those programs, and the process organizations must follow to implement their compensation programs…

Ontario Government Amends Executive Compensation Regulation

· 2 min read

On June 8, 2017, the Ontario government filed O. Reg. 187/17 which amends the “Executive Compensation Framework” regulation (O. Reg. 304/16) made under the Broader Public Sector Executive Compensation Act, 2014 (BPSECA). On June 9th the government issued a new Broader Public Sector Executive Compensation Program Directive and amended the existing Broader Public Sector Executive…