Three lawsuits were filed in December by the parties seeking the best possible outcome for former Sears Canada Inc. employees with regard to the funding deficit of their defined benefit pension plan. Collectively, the suits were filed by the monitor in the Sears Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act proceedings; the Hon. Douglas Cunningham, the litigation trustee appointed by the CCAA court; […]
Trends, benefits fraud and drug coverage led the top health and benefits stories in 2018. Benefits Canada rounds up the industry’s favourite health and benefits stories of the year: 1. Seven benefits trends to watch in 2018 2. Ontario unveils new drug, dental coverage for people without workplace benefits 3. TTC fraud update: More than 220 employees fired or have resigned, retired […]
When considering the legal cases attracting the most attention from the pension and benefits industry in 2018, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal’s decision in Talos v. Grand Erie District School Board was one of the most talked about of the year. “This case is important because plan administrators who previously relied on the Employment Standards Act […]
The Federal Court of Appeal is upholding a ruling denying female Royal Canadian Mounted Police employees the opportunity to buy back into their pension plan after they moved to part-time roles to raise their families. The case arose when three former RCMP officers opted to job share and work reduced hours to spend more time with their […]
Uber pledged Wednesday to challenge a U.K. Court of Appeal decision that drivers should be classed as workers rather than self-employed employees, a verdict that has potentially wide-ranging implications for the rapidly growing gig economy and the rules that govern it. The challenge sets up a showdown in the U.K.’s Supreme Court that will determine […]
An animal welfare charity is facing legal action from a former employee who says he was fired after raising concerns about the organization’s pension investments and its links to companies that engage in animal testing. Jordi Casamitjana alleges the League Against Cruel Sports, a British charity that campaigns against activities like dog fighting and hunting, […]
With the legalization of recreational cannabis on Oct. 17, 2018, employers have been preparing to answer questions about whether their current benefits plans should provide reimbursement for cannabis products for medical purposes. Access to cannabis for medical purposes isn’t new. However, with all the attention on cannabis due to the legalization of recreational cannabis, employers […]
With privacy and data protection laws in Canada and abroad evolving, these changes serve as a reminder to employers to be more stringent in safeguarding the information entrusted to them, particularly by their employees. Employers collect a myriad of personal information from their employees, including health details, spousal status, marriage breakdown information and union membership for plan administrative purposes, noted […]
Sears Canada Inc.’s pensioners reached a settlement last week after they were denied priority over the company’s other creditors. The settlement is subject to certain conditions before it becomes binding, according to a news release from Koskie Minsky LLP, the firm representing Sears’ retirees in the proceedings. The firm is dropping the deemed trust option it was […]
As the world is getting smaller, its workforce is becoming more mobile. In 2017, 66.2 million people travelled to live abroad, up from 52.8 million in 2013, according to research by Finaccord Ltd. That figure is expected to balloon to 87.5 million in 2021. In Canada alone, about 2.8 million people live and work abroad, […]