Contents:

• Welcome
• Upcoming Events
• What's New
• GrandMaster Update

Welcome!

June 2004 - Welcome to the latest edition of The Payroll News. As always, please feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends and associates who are interested in keeping up with the latest changes in the Payroll industry. Or better yet, subscribe them for free using the Tell Others About Us link.

Upcoming Events

Listed here are recent changes in legislation on Federal and Provincial levels that may impact your payroll calculations. Please view the following list for changes that affect your region.

FEDERAL:

May 5, 2004 - CRA Enters into Information Sharing Agreement with WHSCC of Newfoundland and Labrador - The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission (the Commission) have entered into an information sharing agreement through a Memorandum of Understanding. The agreement allows the organizations to share employer registration information, helping them to identify employers who may be registered with one organization but not the other. The information will also be used to determine if an employer should be paying both Workers' Compensation premiums to the provincial government and tax and GST to the CRA. (Full Story - 308 Words)

May 21, 2004 - Government of Canada concludes an Agreement in Principle on Quebec's Parental Insurance Plan - Health Minister Pierre Pettigrew and the HRSDC today signed an Agreement in Principle on Quebec's Parental Insurance Plan with representatives from the Government of Quebec. "The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of supporting parents in their efforts to balance work and family life," said Pettigrew. "Quebec's proposed plan builds on the foundation of maternity and parental programming, which the federal government has built under the EI program over the past 30 years." (Full Story - 916 Words)

May 11, 2004 - Minister Volpe announces new measures to help seasonal workers - The HRSDC announced new measures worth between $230 to $270 million over two years to help seasonal workers. It is anticipated that these measures will benefit between 115,000 to 135,000 seasonal workers annually. "Seasonal industries are key to a number of regions across the country, particularly in rural and remote regions," said HRSDC Minister Joe Volpe. "The Government of Canada renewed the mandate of the Task Force on Seasonal Work which is currently evaluating the issues confronting seasonal industries and looking for possible actions to help communities and workers who depend on them. (Full Story - 831 Words)

May 7, 2004 - Unique partnership connects Saskatchewan's Aboriginal labour force and employers - HRSDC today announced $500,000 in funding under the Aboriginal Human Resources Development Strategy for Corporate Circles of Saskatchewan. In the first year, 100 Corporate Circle roundtables are targeted for creation. The Corporate Circles concept encourages action that results in concrete outcomes related to First Nations and Métis participation in employment and/or career opportunities. (Full Story - 623 Words)

Alberta:

May 11, 2004 - New publication provides answers about maternity and parental leave for working Albertans - HRSDC and Alberta Human Resources and Employment have released released a guide to maternity and parental leave and benefits. Becoming a Parent in Alberta answers frequently asked questions about who is eligible for leave and benefits, how and when to apply for maternity and parental leave and benefits, and human rights protection for pregnant workers. (Full Story - 326 Words)

May 20, 2004 - Work Safe Alberta helps reduce workplace injury rates to record low - Alberta workplaces in 2003 had their best safety performance in over a decade. The annual injury rate of 2.8 serious injuries per 100 full time jobs was the lowest since 1991, which is as far back as the current system of Lost Time Claim Rates records. (Full Story - 338 Words)

May 26, 2004 - New guide provides a road map to Alberta Works programs - Albertans looking for information on Alberta Works now have the new Your Guide: for Expected to Work and Not Expected to Work clients. "This booklet contains useful information for people who turn to the government for financial and training assistance," said Clint Dunford, Minister of Alberta Human Resources and Employment. "Alberta Works provides Albertans with the building blocks to move from dependence to independence through support and job training." (Full Story - 329 Words)

May 19, 2004 - WCB gives back $47.3 million to Alberta businesses - PIR is a voluntary program that offers employers premium rate discounts for implementing effective health and safety, and disability management programs. The PIR program is a result of the combined efforts of WCB-Alberta, Alberta Human Resources and Employment - Workplace Health and Safety, safety associations, employers and labour groups. (Full Story - 329 Words)

British Columbia:

May 6, 2004 - Mediated settlement to class action lawsuits - People receiving provincial disability assistance who assigned retroactive Canada Pension Plan (CPP) payments to the Province from May 1, 1997 to January 14, 1999 are entitled to partial reimbursement as a result of a recent mediated class action settlement. (Full Story - 375 Words)

May 5, 2004 - Government strengthens healthcare benefit trust - Government and the Healthcare Benefit Trust (HBT) will work together to implement key recommendations of an independent review to improve HBT's fiscal performance and accountability, and address the rising cost of health and welfare benefit claims, Finance Minister Gary Collins announced today. (Full Story - 541 Words)

New Brunswick:

May 7, 2004 - Total of 3,300 more New Brunswickers working in April compared to same time last year - There was 3,300 more New Brunswickers working in April than at the same time last year, and the unemployment rate stood at 10 per cent, Training and Employment Development Minister Margaret-Ann Blaney reported today. "I am always pleased when more New Brunswickers are working when we compare statistics to the same month from the previous year because it shows real employment growth," Blaney said. (Full Story - 293 Words)

Newfoundland and Labrador:

May 5, 2004 - Information Sharing Agreement Reached - The WHSCC and the CRA have entered into an information sharing agreement through a Memorandum of Understanding. The agreement allows the organizations to share employer registration information, in an effort to identify employers who may be registered with one organization but not the other. The information will also be used to determine if an employer should be paying both Workers' Compensation premiums to the Commission and tax and GST to the Canada Revenue Agency. (Full Story - 300 Words)

May 27, 2004 - Safe Work Campaign Aimed at Preventing Injuries - The Workplace Health Safety and Compensation Commission (the Commission) of Newfoundland and Labrador launched a major public education campaign today called SAFE WORK. The campaign’s goal is to prevent workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths, and to foster an attitudinal shift towards a stronger safety culture in the province. (Full Story - 560 Words)

Nova Scotia:

May 3, 2004 - Chronic Pain Benefit Announced - A new approach to compensate injured workers who suffer from chronic pain was announced by the government today, May 3. Government will establish regulations to reflect the approach recommended by the Workers' Compensation Board. "This is a significant decision for injured workers. We believe the new chronic pain approach will ensure equal assessment for benefits for all injured workers, regardless of their injury," said Kerry Morash, Minister responsible for the Workers' Compensation Board. (Full Story - 513 Words)

Ontario:

May 3, 2004 - WSIB links up with Link Up Employment Services for Disabled Community - The McGuinty government today introduced legislation that would provide up to eight weeks of job-protected, unpaid time off work for those taking care of a gravely ill family member, Labour Minister Chris Bentley announced today. "This legislation, if passed, would provide real, positive change for employees who need to take time off work to care for a family member who is nearing the end of life," Bentley said. "Our people's health is our most precious resource. We share a responsibility to protect it from harm and care for it in times of need." (Full Story - 400 Words)

May 31, 2004 - WSIB launches new workplace safety campaign - The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) today launched a new workplace health and safety campaign. The WSIB is building on the message of past campaigns that all workplace injuries and
illnesses are preventable and that the way to "Be safe" is to "Be informed." (Full Story - 460 Words)

May 31, 2004 - WSIB Holds Outreach for Workers Injured Before 1990 - The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) is holding two information sessions on WSIB benefits and services that are available to workers injured before January 2, 1990. The sessions are being held on June 3, 2004 and are also open to employers, health care providers and other stakeholders. (Full Story - 300 Words)

Saskatchewan:

May 12, 2004 - Job protection for Compassionate Care Leave - Working people and their families will benefit from improved job-protected leaves allowing them time to care for seriously ill or dying loved ones. The Government of Saskatchewan today announced it is amending The Labour Standards Act to improve job-protected leaves and, as well, to improve the functioning of the Minimum Wage Board. (Full Story - 326 Words)

May 7, 2004 - Job numbers jump in April - Saskatchewan job numbers jumped last month, leading to the highest April on record for employment in the province. Statistics Canada figures released today show 483,000 people were working in Saskatchewan in April (seasonally unadjusted figures). That beats the old record set in April 2000 by 5,000 and is an increase of 5,800 from last April's numbers. (Full Story - 353 Words)

The current release of GrandMaster Suite (3.90.10) incorporates a number of changes to make it even easier to use the program and perform your payroll tasks. Recent program changes since our last Payroll News issue include:

• Program now allows you to produce NR4 statements - You can now use GrandMaster Suite to produce NR4 statements.
• Customized Payroll Report space between Bank Account number and Net Pay - When you created a Customized Payroll Report and included the Bank account number (Report Fields Tab) and the Current Net Pay (Results Tab), the program would not add a space between the two items but would instead string the two items together. The program now ensures that there is adequate spacing between the data elements in the report.
• General ledger validation list not showing more than 1500 codes - If you created more than 1500 general ledger codes, the validation list would only show the first 1500. This limitation has been corrected and you can now display up to 5000 codes.
• Employee Earning Report showing rates outside selected date range - It you printed (or exported) the Employee Earning Report and specified a certain date range, the report was showing all of the rates for the selected employees instead of the selected rates within the date range. This has been corrected so that all pay rates that fall within the specified date range are included in the report and/or the export file depending on user selection.
• Error when converting GMII to GrandMaster Suite with less than 52 pay periods - When converting from GrandMaster II to the GrandMaster Suite and when you have less than 52 pay periods, the EI history display would encounter a subscript error as the EI History would attempt to fill the list box with data from the appropriate pay period going back. The program would subtract one from the current pay period in the perform loop to find the data to for the pay period going back in history. If the history pay periods were less than 52 the program would set the pay period to 0 in the loop and result in the subscript error. This has been corrected.
  

• • •

July Updates - Our mid-year software releases are in the final stages of development and will be shipping in mid-June. These release encompass GrandMaster, GrandMaster II and GrandMaster Suite. As always, stay tuned to CanPay's Product News page to receive the latest changes and release information for all GrandMaster products!

The Internal Threat (continued from last month)

While the image of an anonymous hacker hunched over a computer busting into the corporate system is frightening, the real threat to organizations comes from within. According to a recent survey, 75 per cent of organizations cited disgruntled employees --both former and current -- as the most likely source of attacks. The study, conducted by the Computer Security Institute in 2002, surveyed 503 computer security practitioners in large U.S. organizations. And the vast majority -- 90 per cent -- said there had been some sort of security breach in their organizations.

Anthony Cina, a product manager for managed security services at AT&T Global Services Canada, said one of the things many organizations fail to do -- either through a lack of proper policies or just a lack of communication -- is to cancel access when an employee leaves.

"That's one thing that is frequently missed, or takes too long to happen,"said Cina. "When employees leave the company, their authorization or password or user ID are never revoked. They need to do a better job to make sure everything is cancelled and all their access is taken away."

HR also needs to ensure policies are reviewed regularly to ensure they keep up with the mind-boggling pace of technology.

"Security approaches and technology approaches that were completely acceptable five years ago are completely useless today,"said Kolasa. "The rules have changed, the media has changed, the way people use computers has changed. Many more people know how to use computers, and therefore many more people have the knowledge to be able to hack."

The recent surge in wireless networks being adopted in the corporate world is opening a new door for hackers, who can literally drive around town looking for hot spots where they can connect to the Internet or break into corporate systems.

"It used to be war dialing, where you would take a dialer and dial phone numbers to try to get into phone systems,"said D’Sousa. "But now we have war driving, where somebody is literally driving by attempting to pick up a signal."

Laptops equipped with cheap wireless network cards can pick up signals and let users access the network the same way an employee would be using it inside the office, depending on how the wireless network is configured. Sophisticated hackers can use state-of-the-art equipment to drive around a city and map out all of the wireless hot spots.

© Copyright Canadian HR Reporter, (Nov. 3, 2003), by permission of Carswell
Toronto, Ontario, 1-800-387-5164. Web: www.hrreporter.com.