The Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities’ latest consultation is seeking feedback on amendments to its guideline No. 8 for defined contribution pension plans, focusing on considerations around decumulation, such as communicating variable benefits, assumptions used in retirement projections and fee disclosure. When it comes to withdrawals from a variable benefits plan, according to the amended guideline, plan administrators […]
With a bill before parliament aiming to amend the Canada Labour Code as it pertains to harassment and violence in federally regulated workplaces, the government is inviting Canadians to weigh in on its proposed regulatory framework. The proposal provides an outline of key elements of a workplace harassment and violence prevention policy, including: timeframes; confidentiality; how to […]
The federal government has announced the appointment of the remaining members of its advisory council on the implementation of national pharmacare. Besides former Ontario health minister Dr. Eric Hoskins, who’s the chair of the advisory council, the members are: Mia Homsy, director general of the Institut du Québec, who will serve as vice-chair of the […]
A new report is calling on the Newfoundland and Labrador government to establish presumptive legislation for post-traumatic stress disorder and occupational stress, as well as a law that outlines an employer’s responsibility in developing an approach to preventing those types of injuries. The report, published by the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees, Memorial University of Newfoundland […]
The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal’s recent ruling that it’s unconstitutional for plan sponsors to discontinue benefits for employees after the age of 65 represents a fundamental shift for employers, according to one labour and employment lawyer. “Previously, the Human Rights Tribunal would not enforce any discrimination issues if employers were to cut off benefits at […]
Expanded leave of absence entitlements in British Columbia, including parental and compassionate leave, took effect at the end of May. The changes to the province’s Employment Standards Act allow mothers to start their maternity leave as early as 13 weeks before their expected due date, which is up from the previous 11 weeks. The province also […]
Life doesn’t always happen outside of business hours. Everyone experiences the challenges of managing elements of their personal lives while being physically and mentally present at work. Employers understand the importance of helping their workers manage work and life obligations, and many have policies and practices in place to help them attain that balance. In many ways, […]
As lobbying efforts intensify to keep Canadian Nuclear Laboratories’ employees in the public service pension, plans are moving ahead to convert a multi-union, multi-employer plan into a target-benefit arrangement. Collective agreements ratified in September 2015 between the United Steelworkers union and CNL state that employees hired before that date would stay in the public plan until September 2018, […]
While a new report shows that introducing a tax on employer-paid health benefits would add $3.8 billion to the federal government’s coffers in the 2018 tax year, it would also dramatically raise health-care costs for many Canadians, according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association. Tasked with measuring the federal fiscal impact of including employer-paid health […]
Earlier this month, the Pension Investment Association of Canada came out in support of Ontario’s proposed regulations for variable benefits from defined contribution pension plans. The support came with a caveat, however. “PIAC supports the proposal that the provision of variable benefits from DC plans is voluntary for employers,” Brenda King, chair of the association, […]