On May 8, 2018, Bill 31, the Plan for Care and Opportunity Act (Budget Measures), 2018, passed Third Reading and received Royal Assent. As previously reported, Bill 31 is omnibus legislation implementing some of the key initiatives outlined in the government’s 2018 Budget. Bill 31 makes the following pension-related changes: Increases Pension Benefits Guarantee Fund…
Industry: Healthcare
The Dawn of a New Day: Ontario Pension Funding Rules Are Here
Effective today, May 1, 2018, the funding rules for Ontario defined benefit (DB) pension plans are fundamentally changed. Learn how they apply to your plan – and how your organization can prepare for implementation.
Ontario Passes Pay Transparency Legislation
On April 26, 2018, Bill 3, the Pay Transparency Act, 2018, passed Third Reading, as amended by the Standing Committee on Social Policy. As we previously reported, Bill 3 enacts new rules governing the disclosure of information about the compensation of employees and prospective employees. Among other things, it requires “employers” (as the term is…
Ontario Proposes Establishment of Pay Rate Minimums for Certain Government Contractors
On April 17, 2018, the Ontario government introduced Bill 53, the Government Contract Wages Act, 2018, legislation that would, if passed, permit minimum pay rates to be established for certain private sector construction sectors (roads; heavy engineering; sewers and water mains; and industrial, commercial and institutional), and building security or cleaning services in government owned…
Medical Marijuana in Your Workplace: Employer FAQs
Today – April 20 (4/20) – marks cannabis culture’s unofficial day of celebration, and we thought “weed” mark the occasion by answering a few common employer questions. When do I have to accommodate medical marijuana? While employers have no obligation to permit recreational consumption of marijuana at work or tolerate impairment, they must appropriately accommodate…
Ontario Announces Health, Safety and Employment Standards Blitzes
The Ontario government has announced that it will be conducting more than 24 health, safety and employment standards inspection blitzes in 2018-2019 targeted at certain sectors in Ontario, with a view to ensuring statutory compliance. A number of workplaces will be visited, including those in the retail, manufacturing, construction and health care sectors, as well…
Pension Funding Reform Continues: Taking Aim at Target Benefit Multi-Employer Pension Plans
Pension plans that meet the definition of specified Ontario multi-employer pension plans (SOMEPPs) are one step closer to having the option to convert accrued defined benefits (DB) to target benefits (TB) – and one step closer to a permanent exemption from solvency funding. If your organization participates in a SOMEPP, find out what this could mean for your organization in this FTR Now.
Regulations Filed Supporting Discharge of Pension Plan Administrator Upon Purchase of Annuities
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…
MOL’s ESA Guide Update for Equal Pay Provisions
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
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.