As employers prepare T4’s, they can make like a bit easier for staff. By reporting the employees contributions to the health and dental premium in Box 85, you are helping staff make sure they get the medical Expense Tax Credit (METC) where available.
This avoids employees being audited for proof of contributions (and you having to write out letters for them). You can find more on the CRA site below or ask your accountant.
An interesting article, by a law firm, on the importance of getting staff to complete insurer forms. We deal with this several times a year for different reasons, usually concerning staff not completing forms for excess Life and LTD coverage. it is imperative that staff complete and submit these in a timely manner in order to get the coverage the employer offers.
Throughout an employee’s time with an employer, there are many occasions where the employer will be required to have the employee complete forms or other documents for third parties, or where the employer must complete forms themselves for third parties. We have encountered employers who either delay or completely disregard these requirements. Failing to meet these requirements are risky and potentially costly oversights! Below we will identify the consequences for the employer if these documents are not completed, completed inaccurately, or are not completed in a timely manner.
We’ve had several calls by clients about the OHIP removal of out of country coverage and if it posed a problem. In actuality, the cut has made it easier to have claims paid with the group coverage by almost every carrier (no waiting for the province to pay first). This article provides some context around it and also great questions to ask if people are not covered by group plans and plan on buying coverage.
If you are an Ontario resident planning to travel outside of Canada over the holidays and will be out of the country after Jan. 1, make sure you have adequate travel health insurance coverage or risk dealing with a crippling medical bill should a medical emergency arise.
READ MORE https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/how-to-avoid-a-massive-holiday-health-care-bill-when-ohip-out-of-country-coverage-ends-1.4721528
A very short list of the policies that you MUST have (and those that you SHOULD have) in Ontario.
Ontario employers are required by law to have certain workplace policies in place at work. The policies that employers must have include the following:
Failure to have these policies in place is a violation of Ontario law and may result in the imposition of statutory fines and penalties.
I’m so pleased to finally get this initiative resolved after almost 3 years of effort.
If you’re reading this, and a Mainstay client, then you know how adamant I am about NOT allowing women to opt-out of coverage during maternity leave. If you’re not a client, or are not sure why this is so important, just give me a call.
Major Canadian insurers are no longer resetting the long-term disability pre-existing condition clause for women whose benefits coverage lapsed during their maternity leave when they return to work.
Many of our clients that employee BC employees have paid for the BC MSP premium (much as we did in Ontario with OHIP premiums many decades ago). This obligation has now been removed. On the other hand, an employer health tax similar to Ontario was introduced last year so employers are not 100% off the hook, but are avoiding the duplication.
British Columbians are ringing in the new year by joining all Canadians in not paying monthly rates for health care.
Premiums under the province’s medical services plan will be eliminated on Jan. 1, saving individuals up to $900 a year while families will pocket up to $1,800. The change comes two years after premiums were halved and a year after B.C. introduced an employer health tax of 1.95 per cent for businesses with a payroll above $1.5 million. Companies with a payroll under $500,000 were exempt from the tax, while those in between have paid a reduced rate.
You’re likely asking yourself…has Dave lost it? What does Small Claims Court have to do with benefits, or how does this help the great clients he works with? It’s all about protecting you.
We are starting to see employees use Small Claims Courts for resolving reasonable notice periods at termination (suing for the severance they think they deserve). Read the article below for more…
Effective January 1, 2020, the monetary claims limit for Small Claims Court in Ontario will increase from $25,000.00 to $35,000.00 (excluding interest and legal costs). Of note, the previous limit has been in place since 2010 when the limit was increased from $10,000.00.
From time to time we have prospective, or existing clients ask us about WSIB coverage and if it is mandatory. In some cases they have never “signed up”, in others the activities of the business have changed.
This article explains a bit about how WSIB registration works, and why you should do so voluntarily (if required), rather than be found in violation and subject to fines, penalties and back premium.
A surprisingly common event in the practice of workers’ compensation law is the frantic, sometimes even panicked email or phone call from a client, potential client, or the lawyer or accountant of such a business. The pattern is generally the same.
“We have been in business for X years. Nobody ever told us before that we had to register for workers’ compensation, but now so and so is telling me that we have a big problem because we didn’t. If this is compulsory, why doesn’t somebody tell you that at the beginning?”
Littler is one of the worlds largest employment law firms and they do an annual HR conference on issues around…you guessed it, employment law.
If you are an HR professional and want a great place to learn more sign up now. The event sells out fast (and is free!) so book a spot quickly if interested. Register HERE
2019 Canada Conference – November 21, 2019 – Toronto
The premier labour and employment law conference returns to Toronto for its fourth annual single-day event.
As part of Littler’s 2019 International Conference series and through this year’s theme – Fueled by Ingenuity, Inspired by You: Your Challenges, Our Solutions – we’ll help you navigate the continually shifting employment and labour law terrain.
Together, we’ll explore how to minimize organizational risk, develop strategic solutions to enhance compliance, and implement practical measures that will benefit and sustain your workplace. Challenges will be tackled with ingenuity and we will suggest innovative groundbreaking solutions that your business needs to succeed.
Speakers from multiple jurisdictions will cover:
New to this year’s agenda will be the addition of Littler Talks, stories of achievement and success through life’s challenges and how the journey shaped the professional and personal lives of lawyers in our firm.
The conference will feature keynote speaker Frank Iacobucci, retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada (1991 – 2004). Justice Iacobucci will provide a retrospective on seminal employment law decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada and analyze emerging employment law issues.
For more information about this year’s conference, please refer to the agenda.
This conference has been specifically designed for those within the legal, human resources and employee relations professions.
| Date: | November 21, 2019 |
| Location: | The St. Regis Toronto — Toronto, Ontario |
| Registration: | 8:30 a.m. — 9:00 a.m. |
| Conference: | 9:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m. |
| Professional Development: | CLE, HRPA, HRCI and SHRM credit is pending. This program contains: – 3 hours and 45 minutes of Substantive Content – 1 hour of Professionalism Content – 30 minutes of EDI Professionalism Content |
| Event Information: | Conference is complimentary and includes: meals, valet parking and program materials. |
I came across this page of resources intended for small businesses and thought it may be of interest. If you want to know your responsibilities as a small business employer read on…
Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), small business employers have many of the same duties as any other employer, including the following:
