While the Pension Investment Association of Canada is generally supportive of British Columbia’s proposed solvency funding framework, when it comes to requirements around funding the provision for adverse deviations, the organization is suggesting B.C. takes a page from Ontario and Quebec. With many governments across Canada looking to make defined benefit plans more sustainable, the […]
The Liberal Party announced a number of campaign promises this week, including making maternity and parental benefits tax-free, introducing a 15-week leave for adoptive parents, strengthening the old-age security benefit and increasing the Canada Pension Plan and Quebec Pension Plan survivor’s benefit. If re-elected, the Liberal government said it will work to establish guaranteed paid family […]
Manitoba’s New Democratic Party and Liberal Party announced a host of worker-friendly campaign promises over the Labour Day weekend, with both parties committing to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. The province’s minimum wage, one of the lowest in Canada, is currently $11.35 an hour. It’s set to increase to $11.65 on Oct. 1, […]
The federal government is reforming the tribunal that handles appeals related to employment insurance, Canadian Pension Plan and old-age security payments. Currently, Canadians who disagree with decisions by Employment and Social Development Canada or the Canada Employment Insurance Commission relating to these payments, as well as CPP disability benefits, can appeal to the tribunal’s general division. […]
On Sept. 1, federally regulated employers will see the impact of several changes to the Canada Labour Code, including the new right for employees to request flexible working arrangements, as well as new leaves and other measures supporting workplace flexibility. “The changes to the code . . . will support employees in achieving better work-life […]
Ontario Liberal leadership contender Steven Del Duca is proposing the creation of a basic group benefits package for workers in the province who are currently without one. As part of his so-called Economic Dignity Charter, the former Member of Provincial Parliament for Vaughan promised to create a portable, government-backed benefits program for the self-employed, contract employees and people […]
Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is running to become the next presidential candidate for the U.S. Democratic Party, has proposed new legislation attacking the private equity industry and calling for major reforms. The Stop Wall Street Looting Act of 2019 proposes stringent rules around private equity transactions, including making private equity firms share responsible for the debts incurred by […]
Canadian pension funds are welcoming proposed regulations from the U.S. Department of the Treasury that clarify the sweeping exemption from U.S. tax on real estate available to qualified foreign pension funds. “The previous regulatory framework reduced our demand for real estate in the U.S. and, as importantly, increased the cost and complexity of our structuring,” says […]
The federal government has released draft legislative proposals to implement changes to the employee stock option tax regime announced in its 2019 budget. As promised in the budget, the proposals will impose an annual cap of $200,000 on employee stock options eligible for the stock option deduction under the Income Tax Act. They also confirm that […]
Canada’s national standard for psychological health and safety in the workplace provides employers with benchmarks they can measure themselves against. Would making it mandatory improve employer uptake, or impose unnecessary and duplicate regulations? Brian Gottheil, human resource advisor and lawyer at Bernardi Human Resource Law LLP: The national standard helps employers proactively assess and improve their […]