Canadian Payroll Reporter - sample

7 Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2019 Legislative Roundup Canadian Payroll Reporter The bill proposes to make Sept. 30 a statutory holiday recognizing a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation un- der the Canada Labour Code, as well as other legislation. The bill states that the fed- eral holiday would "honour survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residen- tial schools, and other atrocities committed against First Nation, Inuit and Métis people, remains a vital component of the recon- ciliation process." Before becoming law, the bill must pass in the Senate and re- ceive royal assent. British Columbia Bill would eliminate MSP premiums The provincial government has tabled legislation to eliminate Medical Services Plan (MSP) premiums on Jan. 1, 2020. Bill 20, the Medicare Protec- tion Amendment Act, 2019, received first reading on March 28. It would remove sections related to MSP premiums and premium assistance from the Medicare Protection Act. Despite the elimination of premiums, individuals and em- ployers who pay them on behalf of their employees would still be required to remit premiums ow- ing up to the end of 2019. It should be noted that inter- est would continue to apply to unpaid premiums. Employers who have agreed to collect and remit premi- ums on behalf of employees would continue to be bound by the agreement until it was terminated. They would also remain sub- ject to Medical Services Com- mission audits and would be li- able for penalties if they failed to pay, collect, or remit premiums owing. Minimum wage rising in June On June 1, the British Columbia government will raise the gen- eral minimum wage rate from $12.65 an hour to $13.85. The increase is part of a plan to gradually raise B.C.'s mini- mum wage to $15.20 by 2021. The rate is scheduled to rise to $14.60 on June 1, 2020, and to $15.20 on June 1, 2021. The government is also grad- ually eliminating the liquor serv- er minimum wage rate. It will increase the rate from $11.40 an hour to $12.70 on June 1, and to $13.95 on June 1, 2020. On June 1, 2021, liquor servers will be entitled to receive the general minimum wage rate. Other minimum wage rates are also going up. The rate for live-in camp leaders will rise from $101.24 for each day or partial day worked to $110.87 on June 1. The rate will increase to $116.86 on June 1, 2020, and to $121.65 on June 1, 2021. The minimum rate paid to resident caretakers working in apartment buildings with nine to 60 suites will rise to $831.45 per month plus $33.32 per suite on June 1. It is currently $759.32 plus $30.43 for each suite. The government will increase the rate to $876.35 per month plus $35.12 per suite on June 1, 2020, and to $912.28 per month plus $35.56 per suite on June 1, 2021. For resident caretakers work- ing in apartment buildings with more than 60 suites, the rate will rise from $2,586.40 per month to $2,832.11 on June 1. It will increase to $2,985.04 on June 1, 2020 and to $3,107.42 on June 1, 2021. On Jan. 1, the government raised the minimum piece rates for farm workers who hand-har- vest crops. Manitoba Minimum wage rising in October The province's minimum wage rate will rise from $11.35 an hour to $11.65 on Oct. 1, Mani- toba Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen recently announced. The increase is based on Manitoba's 2018 inflation rate of 2.5 per cent and rounding up to the nearest five cents. Manitoba adjusts the minimum wage rate each year to reflect changes in the province's consumer price index. Ontario New employment standards rules take effect The Ontario government has eliminated requirements for employers to obtain Employ- ment Standards' permission before employees may work more than 48 hours a week or work under overtime averaging agreements. The amendments were part of Bill 66, the Restoring Ontar- io's Competitiveness Act, 2018, which received royal assent on April 3. Even though Employment Standards approval is no longer required, employers still need employees' consent to work in excess of 48 hours in a week. Agreements with employees must specify the number of ex- cess hours that the employees agree to work. Similarly, employers continue to need employees' consent to average their hours over two or more weeks to determine over- time pay entitlement. Agreements with employ- ees must specify the number of weeks over which the hours will be averaged. The averaging period cannot be longer than four weeks or the number of weeks specified in the agreement, whichever is less. Averaging agreements al- ready in effect on April 3 remain valid until they are revoked, Em- ployment Standards' approval expires, or it is revoked, which- ever comes first. Quebec Minimum wage increased May 1 On May 1, the Quebec govern- ment increased the province's general minimum wage rate from $12 an hour to $12.50. It also raised the rate for em- ployees who receive tips from $9.80 per hour to $10.05. In addition, it increased the rate for workers who pick rasp- berries from $3.56/kilogram to $3.71, and the rate for those who pick strawberries from $0.95/ki- logram to $0.99. Yukon Bill proposes changes to unpaid leaves The territorial government has tabled legislation proposing changes to some of the leaves of absence allowed under Yu- kon's employment standards legislation. Bill 31, an Act to amend the Employment Standards Act, which received first reading on March 12, would increase the length of some leaves and ex- pand others. It would increase the length of parental leave from 37 weeks to 63 weeks. It would also extend the period within which em- ployees would have to complete the leave from the first anniver- sary date of the birth or adop- tion to 78 weeks afterwards. The amendments would also specify that the total amount of parental leave that one em- ployee could take for a birth or adoption would be 63 weeks, while the total amount of paren- tal leave that more than one em- ployee could take for the same birth or adoption would be 71 weeks. The bill proposes to increase the length of compassionate care leave from eight weeks to 28 weeks. The period within which employees must complete the leave would be extended from 26 weeks after it began to 52 weeks afterwards. The bill would also expand eligibility for leave for a critically ill child to include family mem- bers beyond the child's parents. The period within which em- ployees must complete the leave would be extended from 37 weeks after it began to 52 weeks afterwards. In addition, the bill propos- es to establish a new 17-week unpaid leave of absence for employees providing care or support for a critically ill adult family member. To be eligible for the leave, employees would have to be employed by their employer for at least six months of continuous employment. The government said the amendments would more close- ly align Yukon's leave standards with eligibility rules for employ- ment insurance benefits. from HOLIDAY on page 1

• Cover