While the federal government’s plan to extend parental benefits under the employment insurance program to 18 months is a welcome move for some working parents, it could create a number of issues for employers that provide top-up programs to their staff. With the potential to create added costs and administrative complexities, the change to a […]
Saskatchewan begins applying its new six per cent sales tax on insurance premiums on Aug. 1. Will the new tax be a significant cost to employers that will discourage them from offering benefits or is it a small amount that will have little impact on their plans? Debra Wiegers, benefits consultant and head of the […]
Former Sears Canada Inc. employees who opt to take the commuted value of their defined benefit pension are facing an immediate 19 per cent reduction in their entitlements. According to an update to former employees from their legal counsel, Koskie Minsky LLP, the reduction is a result of the underfunding in the Sears pension plan. As […]
A recent decision by the Superior Court of Ontario has confirmed that working notice doesn’t count when an employee is away from work due to medical factors. The case, McLeod v. 1274458 Ontario Inc., dealt with Keith McLeod, who had worked as a mover at Frontier Sales in Scarborough, Ont., since 1998. In September 2015, he […]
Sears Canada Inc. has reversed course and will continue to make special payments to its defined benefit pension plan and provide post-employment benefits plans until Sept. 30, 2017. Have your say: Does the Sears Canada case signal the need for changes to better protect employees? The agreement, which the company reached with employees and retirees […]
KPMG LLP has run its first series of retirement education sessions through in-person workshops, one-on-one meetings and a version on Skype for employees at its smaller locations. The firm introduced the sessions in May after a 2015 pilot program with a small group of employees found people wanted to receive more education about their retirement savings. […]
The Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities is conducting a number of reviews this summer, looking into retirement projections and decumulation options for defined contribution pension plans, as well as developing guidance for plan administrators around missing members. The review into possible amendments to CAPSA’s guideline No. 8 on defined contribution pension plans, as well […]
Employers still looking to engage employees in the spirt of Canada’s 150th anniversary can tie the event into their workplace volunteering programs. To coincide with Canada 150, Volunteer Ottawa has introduced a program called 150 for 150, which is challenging Canadians to donate 150 volunteer hours to charity this year. While the program is open to all […]
On one of the top floors of a non-descript building in downtown Toronto, Morneau Shepell Ltd.’s care access centre representatives are fielding intake calls, the first step in helping Canadian employees get help through their employee assistance program. Visually, it’s a typical call-centre environment, but the “magic happens on the phone,” says Lynn Pike, vice-president […]
CIBC, Destination Canada and Via Rail are among employers aligning their employee engagement efforts with the celebration of 150 years since Confederation. Since CIBC is also celebrating 150 years in 2017, it’s tying its own milestone to Canada’s festivities, offering its 44,000 employees a paid day off that they can take near or on their own […]