Payroll Reporter
Can
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Can
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adian adian a
www.payroll-reporter.com
February 2018
New employee leaves now in eff ect
Legislative changes in Alberta,
Ontario, Saskatchewan
BY SHEILA BRAWN
LEAVE for domestic violence. Personal/family re-
sponsibility leave. Critical illness leave. Leave for tra-
ditional aboriginal practices. Citizenship ceremony
leave. These are just some of the new leaves with
which payroll professionals in several Canadian ju-
risdictions must now familiarize themselves.
Over the last couple of months, governments in
Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan have imple-
mented new leaves under their employment stan-
dards laws. The federal government has also recently
passed amendments to the Canada Labour Code
(CLC) that, once in force, will allow federally regu-
lated employees to take new leaves of absence.
Like other leaves permitted under employment
standards, employers must allow eligible employees
to take time off for the new leaves. They are also pro-
hibited from dismissing, suspending or otherwise
punishing employees for taking them.
see ROUNDUP page 7
PM
#40065782
Legislative Roundup
Changes in payroll laws and regulations
from across Canada
see MORNEAU page 6
Credit:
Jukka
Jantunen
(Shutterstock)
Federal budget
guessing game
MPs, business groups, labour unions
make suggestions for 2018 fi scal year
BY SHEILA BRAWN
BETWEEN now and the end of spring, the federal government and
most provinces/territories will release their revenue and spending
plans for the fiscal year.
Depending on what happens, payroll professionals may have to
implement income tax rate changes, new taxable benefit rules, mini-
mum wage adjustments or other payroll-related tax changes.
Of all the budgets, the federal document often has the most pay-
roll-related changes since Ottawa is responsible for the federal In-
come Tax Act, the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), employment insur-
ance (EI), and source deduction remittances and reporting.
Canada
Changes coming to labour code
Recently passed amendments to the Canada Labour Code will
bring a variety of changes for federally regulated employers and
employees once the federal government implements them.
The changes were included in Bill C-63, the Budget Implementa-
tion Act, 2017, No. 2, which received royal assent on Dec. 14.
The government has not said when it will bring the amendments
into effect.
Among the changes:
• Employees will be allowed to take time off in lieu of overtime pay
if they request it. Employees will earn at least 1.5 hours of time for
each overtime hour.
see CHANGES page 2
News in Brief pg. 4
Most workers not taking full vacation time |
Government releases social security review |
Auto rates announced | CRA announces
ceilings for housing benefi ts
In pursuit of
fairness pg. 10
Quebec report takes
aim at pension, group
insurance plans
Federally regulated Aboriginal employees will soon be allowed to take time off work, without
pay, each year to take part in traditional practices such as hunting, fi shing, and harvesting.
Ask an Expert pg. 5
Upcoming minimum wage
changes | Distributing T4s
through email | Fuel cards
may be a taxable benefi t