An Ontario arbitrator has confirmed the validity of the long-term disability exception to the mandatory retirement rule. When Ontario eliminated mandatory retirement in 2006, the legislation provided an exception for insured employment benefit plans to maintain a cutoff based on age. “This was intended to avoid destabilizing existing insurance plans while still permitting parties to […]
A fifth (22 per cent) of plan sponsors said their organization has seen an uptick in benefits fraud, either by plan members, service providers or organized crime, according to the 2025 Benefits Healthcare Survey. During a panel discussion at Benefits Canada’s 2025 Toronto Benefits Summit last week, Lancelot Lambert, regional vice-president of Ontario and Atlantic […]
Amazon.com says it’s investing more than a US$1 billion to raise wages and lower the cost of health-care plans for its U.S. fulfillment and transportation workers. The Seattle-based company said the average pay is increasing to more than $23 per hour. Some of its most tenured employees will see an increase between $1.10 and $1.90 […]
While there are no specific laws preventing workplace romance, company executives are often held to higher standards than frontline employees through employer policies — particularly when a relationship can have a financial impact on an organization, says Daniel Lublin, founding partner at Whitten & Lublin. “There is an area of law that applies to fiduciaries, […]
Amid the increase in frequency and severity of wildfires in Canada, new employment legislation in Quebec could more effectively support employees working remotely in rural areas that are impacted by these natural disasters, says Sarah-Émilie Dubois, a senior associate in the employment and labour group at Dentons Canada LLP. The legislation, introduced this spring as […]
An article announcing the finalists of the 2025 Workplace Benefits Awards was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. Who are the finalists of the 2025 Workplace Benefits Awards? 2. Employee’s termination following mental-health leave not discriminatory: […]
The Human Rights Tribunal of Alberta has ruled that termination of employment on the day an employee returns from a year-long mental-health leave doesn’t, in and of itself, support a discrimination complaint. “In this case, the employer had valid grounds for termination before the medical leave started, and the fact that the complainant’s case had […]
An article on the Ontario government’s return-to-office mandate for provincial employees was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the last week: 1. My Take: Ontario’s latest return-to-work mandate is misinformed, short-sighted 2. Ontario Teachers’ investing US$40 million in HR platform, […]
Nova Scotia is introducing new workplace harassment regulations effective Sept. 1. The legislation will require all provincially regulated employers to adopt a written anti-harassment policy, train staff and review the policy every three years. According to a press release, psychological workplace injuries in Nova Scotia rose to 194 in 2024, up from 150 three years […]
One expert encourages employers to avoid a ‘use it or lose it’ approach, while another emphasizes the value of encouraging benefits usage as an attraction and retention strategy. Richelle Feddema, senior manager, anti-fraud member management, the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association Employers play a crucial role in providing their employees with access to health […]