Ontario is extending a temporary paid sick leave program for workers until the end of this year. Labour Minister Monte McNaughton announced that the coronavirus pandemic program set to expire on Sept. 25 will be extended to Dec. 31, 2021. He said the spread of the more transmissible Delta variant prompted the move to give more […]
While the withdrawal of provincially-insured eye services by Ontario optometrists is unlikely to have a direct impact on benefits plans, it could cause a “trickle-down effect,” according to Kim Siddall, vice-president of enterprise consulting for the west at People Corporation. “Given that under Ontario law, insurers can’t cover the cost of the eye exams which were […]
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario is seeking feedback on proposed guidance detailing how and when it publishes information about enforcement proceedings and investigations, including those related to pension plans and administrators. According to the draft guidance, this includes the use of news releases and public postings of enforcement actions on the FSRA’s website […]
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario is releasing final interpretation guidance to support the role and responsibilities of pension plan administrators. The guidance, an updated and consolidated version of four previous documents, said the administrator’s role includes responsibility for implementing processes to ensure pension plan risks — such as investment, funding, operational and legal — […]
The Association of Canadian Pension Management is calling for increased clarity regarding Ontario’s rules for the valuation and division of pension payments following a marriage breakdown. In response to a consultation by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario, the ACPM recommended the draft guidance document include an example of an exception to the rule […]
Workers in Ontario will soon be able access three paid sick days to help them self-isolate during the coronavirus pandemic, but critics said the policy announced April 28 falls far short of what’s required to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government had for months resisted intense pressure from health experts and advocates […]
Alberta will begin offering coronavirus vaccines to thousands of meat-packing employees across the province starting this week, but a union leader says some workers are reluctant to receive a shot from the government or an employer they don’t trust. The provincial government says starting Tuesday, vaccines will be offered to more than 15,000 workers at 136 […]
The end of the coronavirus pandemic won’t mean the end of people struggling with mental-issues due to the prolonged public-health crisis, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association. The poll found only 35 per cent of Ontarians consider their mental health to be “very good” or “excellent,” compared to 52 per cent in the first round of polling in May […]
The Association of Canadian Pension Management is calling on the Ontario government to consider amending the Employment Standards Act and the Pension Benefits Act to allow for auto-enrolment and auto-escalation features in capital accumulation plans. Specifically, it would like the government to allow employers to automatically deduct employee contributions from payroll to facilitate these features. […]
The first quarter of 2020 was rough for Ontarian defined benefit pension plans as they experienced the most significant quarterly decline in projected solvency ratios since December 2009, according to a new report by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario. In particular, the median projected solvency declined to 85 per cent as of March […]