Many employers (and many of our clients) utilize Foreign Workers on Work Permits to complement their employee base. These can require some special handholding in several areas around benefits.
- Many insurers require an employee to be covered by the provincial health plan (PHP) (e.g. OHIP in Ontario). Foreign workers may have to wait for 6 months, make application and be approved for PHP before they are eligible for benefit plan coverage. SOME insurers may allow, or make available, Provincial Plan Replacement (PPR) coverage to fill this gap as an alternative to waiting (hence benefits could begin on the first date worked).
- Service Ontario (where OHIP is applied for in Ontario) does NOT recognize “Maintained Status” that may be provided by Service Canada (that handles work permits). This status allows a foreign worker to continue working until their permit is renewed. Service Ontario would show that OHIP is now lapsed and the foreign worker would need to reapply or re-purchase PPR coverage to maintain coverage by the plan.
- With the changes below, employees may see the renewal or evolution of their foreign worker status changed and hence more difficult.
Details are provided in the article below. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions on the benefit coverage for your Foreign Workers or need assistance in ensuring they are properly covered..
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