August, 2011
Changes to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contribution rules in 2012
Starting in 2012, the federal and provincial governments are making a series of changes to the Canada Pension Plan that affect employees aged between 60 and 70. These changes permit CPP and QPP contributions for employees when CPP or QPP retirement benefits are received, before employees turn 70 years of age. These changes bring the CPP into line with similar changes made to the QPP in 1997.The purpose, in part, is to offer more support to employees who wish to phase in their retirement.
Upcoming minimum wage increases
Several jurisdictions in Canada are increasing their minimum wages starting September 1, 2011. So what is the minimum wage?
The Air Canada pilots’ mandatory retirement saga – will it end with the tribunal’s third decision?
In July, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal made its third decision in the case of two Air Canada pilots who challenged the airline’s mandatory retirement policy. The tribunal decided in favour of Air Canada. Then, in August, the tribunal decided in a similar case involving 70 other Air Canada pilots. The tribunal again decided in favour of the airline, but for different reasons. For those hoping the July decision would settle the matter once and for all, the August decision is sure to confuse matters.
Written agreements in the employment relationship are valuable
I have written in this blog and elsewhere, of the value in written employment contracts, written offers of employment, and written employment policies. Much like the break up of a marriage, the parties to the dissolution of the employment relationship often have widely divergent recollections of the understanding of the terms of the relationship when they were entered into. In particular,…
AODA administrative monetary penalties scheme – three strikes you’re out!
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) allows for severe maximum monetary penalties for any violation to the Act. Details on how these administrative penalties work are found in the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation, which came into force July 1, 2011.
A Tribute to Jack
I didn’t know Jack Layton personally. Like many Canadians–particularly Torontonians, I have met him a few times and and shook his hand at public appearances. His legacy for the readers of First Reference Talks is significant. He was a leader.
Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement comes into force as of August 15, 2011
The Free Trade Agreement (“FTA”) between Canada and Colombia was originally signed on November 21, 2008. However, it did not come into force until August 15, 2011. As in the case of other FTAs, the Canada-Colombia FTA contains provisions for the temporary entry of treaty nationals pursuant to Section 204 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. These provisions appear in “Chapter 12 – Temporary Entry for Business Persons.”
Human resources goes mobile: Highlighting top HR apps
When leaving home or the office, what are the must-have items you would never go without? Wallet? Got it. Keys? Yup. Your mobile recruiting application…? Today’s anytime-anywhere mobile access is changing the way we do business. With the right apps, recruiters can manage customer relations, access candidate data, and even review employee referals from their mobile devices. HR technology developers have jumped on the mobile bandwagon, and are working hard to bring new solutions for hiring, managing and tracking HR to the mobile market.
New Ontario family caregiver leave
Building on the existing Family Medical Leave under the Employment Standards Act, the Ontario government is planning to expand the protected leave from work by allowing caregivers to spend more time with family members who cannot care for themselves because of serious injury or illness including cancer or stroke.
After the Chilean mine disaster – How HR got it wrong
The first anniversary of the Chilean mine disaster is an opportune time to take a closer look at the key aspects of managing human resources, and how we can avoid some of the mistakes that were made during the Chile mine incident.
High achievers = high anxieties in the workplace
Is there an overachiever at your workplace? Do you have trouble understanding and working with them? High achievers, sometimes known as workaholics, have been found to be secretly plagued by fears and self-doubts and prone to resist change. Though it is important to be hard-working and have a drive to achieve in order to be successful, it can get out of control.
Slaw: Using employee (patient) health information in human resources investigation
The Alberta Information and Privacy Commissioner recently confirmed that Alberta Health Services (AHS) breached the rights of one of its employees by intentionally using information from his addiction counselling against him during a human resources investigation. The breach of the employee’s personal health information clearly contravened the Health Information Act (HIA).
National Occupational Classification, 2011
The structure of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2011 has changed and is replacing Statistics Canada’s National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S) 2006 and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada’s NOC 2006, eliminating the differences that have existed between these two classifications. The NOC is being adapted to reflect the significant structural changes in the Canadian labour market since 2001.
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