On September 19, 2014, the federal government released proposed amendments to the Pension Benefits Standards Regulations, 1985 (“PBSR”). Proposals relating to the pension investment rules that apply more broadly – to federally regulated pension plans[1] as well as pension plans that are regulated by the provincial pension legislation in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland…
Publication Type: Article
Municipal Elections 2014: Employers’ Obligation to Provide Paid Time Off to Vote
Province-wide municipal elections will be held on October 27, 2014, and voting hours will run from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, all employees who are eligible to vote in the election are entitled to three consecutive hours during voting hours on election day to cast their vote. To be…
Proposed Investment Rule Changes for Registered Pension Plans
On September 19, 2014, the Department of Finance Canada released proposed amendments to the federal Pension Benefits Standards Regulations, 1985 (“PBSR”). The proposed amendments would modernize the pension investment rules applicable to pension plans registered in many Canadian jurisdictions. Specifically, these changes will, if adopted as drafted, impact the investments that are permitted to be…
Long-Awaited Federal Pension Regulations are Proposed
On September 19, 2014, the federal government released long-awaited regulations for public comment that would, if adopted as drafted, implement significant reforms to the current framework governing federally-regulated private pension plans. Investment-related reforms will also have implications for Ontario regulated pension plans, and for pension plans regulated by other provinces where such jurisdictions have adopted…
Arbitrator Rules that Collective Agreements Include Memoranda of Understanding
Arbitrator George Surdykowski has rendered a significant award in which he concludes that the Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) between the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (“OECTA”) and the Ontario Government formed part of a school board’s 2012-14 collective agreements with OECTA. This award addresses an outstanding issue about the status of the collective agreements imposed…
Ontario Court Voids Termination Provision for Non-Compliance with the Employment Standards Act
In Miller v. A.B.M. Canada Inc., the Ontario Superior Court again nullified a termination provision in an employment contract because it did not strictly comply with the requirements of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”). The plaintiff worked for the defendant for 17 months in a middle management position at an annual salary of $135,000.The…
Budget Bill Includes Carrigan Pre-Retirement Death Benefit Fix
The Ontario government has taken steps in its 2014 Budget to address the impact of the Ontario Court of Appeal’s 2012 decision in Carrigan v. Carrigan Estate (“Carrigan“). On July 24, 2014, the Ontario Legislature passed Bill 14, the Building Opportunity and Securing Our Future Act (Budget Measures), 2014 (“Bill 14”), which implements some of…
Ontario Reintroduces Legislation Amending Workplace Laws
On July 16, 2014, the Ontario government introduced Bill 18, the Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act, 2014 (“Bill 18”). If passed, Bill 18 would make significant changes to a number of employment-related statutes, including the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”), the Occupational Health and Safety Act (“OHSA”) and the Workplace Safety and Insurance…
Ontario Budget 2014
On Monday, July 14, 2014, the newly elected Liberal government introduced the 2014 Ontario Budget. As was pledged by Premier Wynne during the election campaign, the new Budget is virtually identical to the version that was first tabled on Thursday, May 1, 2014 (and which triggered the recent election). The newly tabled Budget is still…
Ontario Re-Introduces BPS Accountability, Transparency Legislation (Formerly Bill 179)
On July 8, 2014, the Ontario government re-introduced broader public sector (“BPS”) accountability and transparency legislation. If passed, proposed measures in Bill 8, the Public Sector and MPP Accountability and Transparency Act, 2014, would give the government the authority to create comprehensive compensation frameworks for certain employers in the BPS, and would implement a number…