Contents:

• Welcome
• What's New
• GrandMaster Update

Welcome!

March 2006 - 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.

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:

March 3, 2006 - Canada Revenue Agency interest rates for the second calendar quarter - The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) today announced the prescribed annual interest rates that will apply to any amounts owed to the CRA and to any amounts the CRA owes to individuals and corporations. These rates are calculated quarterly in accordance with applicable legislation and will be in effect from April 1, 2006, to June 30, 2006. (Full Story)

March 2006 - User Requirements for the 53 Week ROE Format - Service Canada is upgrading the existing 53 week ROE Web to include a new import feature. This enhancement, in response to requests from vendors speaking on behalf of employers, will allow users to import ROE information in an XML file to their payroll system. Visit the link below to learn more about the ROE Web feature and for the announcement of the additional import functionality. (Full Story)

March 17, 2006 - Dedicated to Cooperation on Safe and Healthy Workplaces - Promoting a safe and healthy workplace was one of a number of issues Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers responsible for Labour discussed at their annual meeting, which wraps up today. A safe and healthy workplace is a productive workplace where the adoption of reasonable and cost-effective policies and practices allow workers to perform at their best in an environment that promotes good mental and physical health. (Full Story)

February 22, 2006 - Income tax changes for businesses - The CRA has listed a number of income tax changes for the 2005 taxation year, including proposed changes that may not yet have become law. Changes listed include those made to the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP), along with specific updates regarding Corporations and Self-Employed Businesses. (Full Story)

Alberta:

March 3, 2006 - Hard-working Albertans create thousands of full-time jobs - Albertans created thousands of new full-time jobs, earned higher wages on average, and recorded the lowest unemployment rate in the country, according to the government's 2005 Annual Alberta Labour Market Review. The report, which provides an overview of Alberta's labour market performance, can help employers and employees identify important trends in Alberta's workforce. (Full Story)

February 27, 2006 - Number of Aboriginal apprentices surpasses the 1,000 mark - A record number of Aboriginal apprentices are working in Alberta. There are now 1,126 Aboriginal apprentices in the province - an increase of 888 apprentices in less than four years. In the last few years, the government has worked to increase the successful participation in, and completion of, apprenticeship programs by Aboriginal people. This work helps to link employers with potential Aboriginal apprentices and provide support to help build successful working and learning relationships. (Full Story)

February 23, 2006 - Bill 9 updates Alberta Works legislation - Bill 9, the Income and Employment Supports Amendment Act, introduces a change that will make it easier to consider the needs of grant-funded students on a case-by-case basis. An additional housekeeping change will clarify the Minister's authority to prescribe the form and content of child support agreements. Human Resources and Employment provides services that help single parents get child support, in addition to the financial assistance they receive through Alberta Works. (Full Story)

February 22, 2006 - Alberta firms take home WCB WorkSafe award - Employers from every industry sector recognize that safety comes first. Calgary’s NAL Resources and Edmonton’s Vetco Gray Canada Inc. have earned the distinction of being 2006 WCB WorkSafe Award winners. WCB presents the WorkSafe Award annually as part of the Alberta Chambers of Commerce Business Awards of Distinction. The award recognizes Alberta businesses with diverse and proactive injury prevention and disability management programs. (Full Story)

British Columbia:

March 9, 2006 - Compassionate care leave protects workers - British Columbians who need to provide care for loved ones who are gravely ill will benefit from legislation that provides greater employment protection, Labour and Citizens’ Services Minister Michael de Jong said today. Amendments to the Employment Standards Act will give an employee who requests time away from their job up to eight weeks of unpaid leave to provide care or support to an immediate family member who is terminally ill. (Full Story)

March 6, 2006 - Scholarships help jump-start students' trades careers - A record number of secondary school graduates were awarded government scholarships, totaling $375,000 this year, for their success in the Secondary School Apprenticeship Program, Education Minister Shirley Bond announced today. A total of 375 B.C. students received the $1,000 scholarships this year, a 21 per cent increase over last year. The students were awarded the scholarships this month for graduating from high school in January and June 2005 with a C+ average, and for continuing to learn their trades. (Full Story)

Manitoba:

March 16, 2006 - Workers Compensation Board Receives Diversity Leadership Award - The Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba (WCB) has been recognized for its achievements in workplace diversity. Last night, the WCB was awarded a Silver HR Leadership Award by the Human Resource Management Association of Manitoba (HRMAM) that recognizes the organization’s work in order to successfully promote cultural awareness, employment equity, and multiculturalism. (Full Story)

March 13, 2006- Payday loan legislation would inform and protect consumers - Payday loan companies would be required to operate within a comprehensive regulatory framework under amendments to Manitoba’s Consumer Protection Act introduced today by Finance Minister Greg Selinger. The amendments would require the company be licensed and bonded and that borrowers receive warnings about the high cost of the loan. Maximum cost of credit that lenders could charge for payday loans would be set by an order made by the Public Utilities Board (PUB). (Full Story)

New Brunswick:

March 10, 2006 - 8,100 more New Brunswickers working as labour force has huge growth - New Brunswick continued to see record numbers of people employed and part of the labour force as the employment level neared 360,000 people last month. Figures released by Statistics Canada show that there were 359,200 New Brunswickers working in February, up by 8,100 from the same time last year, and up 500 from last month. The labour force in the province stood at 396,500 in February, which was up 9,600 from the same time last year, and up 2900 from January. The labour force measures those working or actively seeking work. (Full Story)

March 10, 2006 - Province provides almost $342,000 in funding for specialized training - Since January, 154 New Brunswickers were given the opportunity to receive specialized training, thanks to almost $342,000 in funding. Several partnerships with industry have resulted in skills training and upgrading courses spanning a wide range of specialized fields. "The variety of disciplines shows that the needs of employers are being directly addressed," Minister Jody Carr said. "The focus is on which skills industry needs, and through cost-sharing there are investments in both employees and employers." (Full Story)

Newfoundland and Labrador:

February 23, 2006 - Website promotes Newfoundland and Labrador to skilled immigrants and entrepreneurs - A new Web site, www.gov.nl.ca/hrle/immigration, is aiming to inform potential immigrants about the benefits of choosing Newfoundland and Labrador as their new home. Paul Shelley, Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment (HRLE), says that an online gateway is one way that Newfoundland and Labrador can be promoted to people who are considering an application to immigrate to Canada. (Full Story)

Northwest Territories:

March 2006 - New e-Learning course now available - The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety is offering a course for guidance on how to prevent injuries in the workplace that are the result of slips, trips or falls from the same level. It provides workers, managers, supervisors and health and safety committees with practical information, tips and examples to help them to understand the causes of falls, and to take preventive measures. (Full Story)

Nova Scotia:

March 21, 2006 - Nova Scotia Continues Its Competitive Lead - Nova Scotians continue to show this province's competitive strength to the world. Four centres in Nova Scotia have once again ranked among the best sites for doing international business, according to KPMG's 2006 Competitive Alternatives report, released today, March 21. (Full Story)

March 6, 2006 - Farm Safety to be Highlighted - Nova Scotia farmers are working hard to reduce the risk of being injured or killed on the job. Farm Safety is My Business is the theme of Canadian Agricultural Safety Week, March 8 to 14. The week highlights various aspects of risk management in the agricultural sector, focusing on young workers between the ages of 15 and 29. (Full Story)

Nunavut:

February 18, 2006 - Trade School to Bring Training Opportunities - Nunavummiut will soon have access to the training opportunities they need to participate in the territory’s expanding economy, with today’s announcement of funding to create the Nunavut Trade School in Rankin Inlet. Establishing a trade school is the realization of a key Government of Nunavut priority, as set out in Pinasuaqtavut. As part of the Nunavut Arctic College system the Nunavut Trade School will provide job ready learning opportunities for Nunavummiut. (Full Story)

Ontario:

March 6, 2006 - McGuinty Government Strengthening Protections For Ontario's Workers And Businesses - The McGuinty Government is protecting legitimate businesses, workers and the public by taking further action to combat the underground economy in Ontario's construction industry, Labour Minister Steve Peters announced today. To strengthen the enforcement of training requirements for trades workers in Ontario, the government will now grant Ministry of Labour inspectors the power to issue on-the-spot tickets to uncertified trades workers who require compulsory certification. (Full Story)

March 2006 - Important T5007 Statement Information - The Ontario WSIB has released information about the T5007 statement for regarding the benefits to workers or surviving spouse/dependant who received wage replacement benefits during
the taxation year. (Full Story - PDF)

February 24, 2006 - Local Employers Gain Competitive Edge From Ontario's Secondary Students - The McGuinty government wants more local employers to reap the rewards of smarter, stronger and more innovative future employees by bringing high school students into the workplace to test drive their careers, said Education Minister Gerard Kennedy today. More students will now have access to co-op placements with strong links to classroom subject areas, while benefiting from the knowledge and skills gained through the real-life work environment. (Full Story)

Prince Edward Island:

March 15, 2006 - Immigration report to assist with future strategy - The Prince Edward Island Population Secretariat released today a report on Recent Immigrants to Prince Edward Island (PEI). Dr. Baldacchino compiled information from 320 individuals who settled to Prince Edward Island between the years of 1998 to 2003. Several participants in the report indicated that the quality of life in PEI, availability or prospects of employment and affordable housing as the advantages of moving to the province. (Full Story)

March 21, 2006 - Extended Wage Loss Benefits Information Guide - The PEI Worker's Compensation Board has released an information guide about Extended Wage Loss Benefits. These are long term benefits paid to a worker whose accident date is on or after January 1, 1995. A worker with a permanent medical impairment is eligible for EWL benefits when the medical condition has stabilized, the rehabilitation process is completed, and a loss of earning capacity exists. (Full Story)

March 21, 2006 - Permanent Impairment Assessment Guide - The PEI Worker's Compensation Board has released the Permanent Impairment Assessment brochure. This document provides the worker and employer with information related to a permanent impairment assessment. In some situations, a worker may not fully recover after a work-related injury. In this situation, the Workers Compensation Board must determine whether a permanent impairment has resulted from the injury. (Full Story)

Saskatchewan:

March 20, 2006 - Workers' Compensation Act Reviewed - A Committee of Review (COR) has been appointed to make recommendations to the government concerning The Workers' Compensation Act, 1979, and regulations, as well as the administration of the Act. The review is conducted every four years, as stipulated in the Act. "The modern workplace is constantly changing," Labour Minister David Forbes said. "The COR process ensures that government, the Workers' Compensation Board, employers and employees work together to create an up-to-date compensation system that is fair and responsive. (Full Story)

March 9, 2006 - $2.2 million for new student employment program - Saskatchewan public and voluntary sector employers and students received good news today from Culture, Youth and Recreation Minister Glenn Hagel at the announcement of the new Student Employment Experience program, or SEE. The $2.2 million program provides subsidies to create career-quality jobs for students. At least 700 positions will be delivered through SEE this year. (Full Story)

March 6, 2006 - Final Early Intervention Program Report Submitted - The Early Intervention Program (EIP) Advisory committee has submitted its final report on the study of the EIP undertaken by IBM. The Committee reports that the EIP has been proven effective by the study, but could be improved in a number of specific areas. The EIP helps workers whose injuries require more than primary care. Anyone receiving secondary or tertiary level treatment is considered to be in the EIP. (Full Story)

March 1, 2006 - Minimum Wage Increase - Saskatchewan's minimum wage increased by 50-cents an hour on March 1st, 2006. This increase will move the provincial minimum wage from $7.05 an hour to $7.55 an hour. The increase is the second stage of a three-stage increase announced last June. The first increase took effect September 1st, 2005 and moved the minimum wage up by 40-cents to $7.05. On March 1st, 2007 the minimum wage will go up by another 40 cents an hour to $7.95 an hour. (Full Story)

Yukon:

March 10, 2006 - Program to increase women's participation in skilled trades - The Government of Yukon, Yukon College and Yukon Women in Trades and Technology (YWITT) have developed a Women Exploring Trades and Technology program. As part of its efforts to increase the representation of women in skilled trades training and employment, and in response to one of the recommendations from the Yukon Women in Trades Follow-Up Report (2005), this full-time 16-week program for women is being offered at Yukon College, for the first time, beginning March 13. (Full Story)

The current release of GrandMaster Suite (5.07) incorporates a number of changes to make it even easier to use the program and perform your payroll tasks. Program changes since our last Payroll News issue include:

• Added support to the Employee List to show both Badge and Employee Numbers - The employee selection list has been modified to include both the employee badge number and employee number. Prior to this change the list would only show one such number and in some cases the employee number would actually be the badge number. If the employee is included in multiple payrolls the employee number displayed would be for the active payroll. If you have not initialized a payroll prior to displaying the employee list the employee number would be displayed as "N/A". Also, where the employee is included in more than one payroll you may still view the assigned payrolls for that employee which will also display the employee numbers assigned for the payrolls.
• Utility program added to correct missing provincial EI records - With this release we have added a utility program that will convert the summary EI record amounts to the applicable provincial EI amounts. This is necessary due to a bug in a prior release that was preventing the provincial amounts from being written to history. Since the start of 2006 with the change made to EI relating to the addition of QPIP in Québec, the EI calculation requires the provincial amounts in order to properly calculate EI amounts ensuring that they do not exceed the yearly maximums.
• The Payroll Register does not show correct QPIP YTD amounts - The Payroll Register Report was not displaying correct QPIP YTD amounts for employees with no current activity and when presenting subtotals. We have corrected these problems with this release.
• The T4 Summary Report slip count incorrect - The T4 Summary Report contained an incorrect slip count total for the total number of T4 records. This problem was also present in the T4 XML file and has been corrected in both with this release.
• EI amounts did not stop at the 2006 maximum in certain cases - If you had performed a Reversal pay that set an employee's YTD totals to zero the EI deduction/benefit amounts could exceed the yearly maximum amount on a future calculation. We have corrected this problem with this release.
• The badge number is incorrect in the Employee Name export - When exporting employee name data from the payroll the badge number exported was not the badge number as assigned to the employee. The number exported was actually the employee number. Further, with this release we have added options to export both the employee number and badge number.
• The Customized Payroll Report missing data when range spans multiple years - If you had defined a Customized Payroll Report to report current pay data and had selected a range that spanned multiple years the resulting report only included data from the current year. We have made a change to enable the report to provide current pay data from sequences from a prior year. However, you will not be able to select YTD options for a report spanning multiple years.
• Adjustments to QPP not journalizing the employer portion - If you entered an adjustment to an employee QPP deduction the employer's portion was not included in the Journal Entry Report. This has been corrected with this release however; the correction does not correct missing journal entry data for prior pay sequences.
• The RL-1 does not print the Other Income code - If you had RL-1 Other Income amounts in your year-end file the corresponding code was not printing correctly on the RL-1 statement. With this release the RL-1 Other Income code will print as defined in your year-end file.
• The Customized Payroll Report is missing current data - If your Customized Payroll Report is defined to report on data that spans years the resulting report did not show current data for employees who had no activity in the current year. With this release you will be able to pick up current payroll data for your employees regardless of whether the report spans a year-end. However due to clarity, the YTD amounts for pay sequences from a prior year will NOT be included in the report
  

• • •

Visit CanPay's News page and view the latest Release Notes for a complete listing of program changes.

Link Opportunity! - If you are a CanPay customer wanting more exposure for your Website, please send us a 50-word description along with a copy of your logo. We'll add you to our Customer Links page and create a link directly to your website. It 's a great way to expose your goods and services to the community. Logos should be a maximum of 160 x 70 pixels and provided in the .gif or .jpg format. Send your e-mails to admin@canpay.com.

Being great takes hard work (Part 1 of 2)
Barbara Bowes

FOR some reason, spring seems to be one of the busiest seasons for corporate awards and recognition.

The most sought-after recognition efforts these days are being recognized as the greatest place to work or being labeled the "employer of choice." These popular awards recognize those organizations that diligently apply a human resource strategy that focuses on hiring and retaining the best employees and making sure their work environment is truly a powerful motivating factor in overall job satisfaction, employee productivity and corporate profitability.

For some businesses, the "greatest place to work" or "employer of choice" labels are simply a set of easy-to-say slogans accompanied by a fancy corporate image that artificially puffs up company status and reputation. But in reality, words that are not followed by deeds eventually fail. You see, achieving such a high status takes a substantial and persistent effort. In fact, becoming an employer of choice is darn hard work. It requires deep assessment, major changes in processes, application of strong human resource practices and above all, this type of strategy requires constant measurement and self-analysis. So, why bother you might say?

Well, there are many advantages to being known as "the greatest place to work." Companies will be able to more easily attract and keep high quality employees. Your corporate image amongst customers, employees and the general public will be more favorable, which often results in client and new employee referrals.

High-profile and positive name recognition along with a reputation for living up to your promises serves to demonstrate that your company is viewed as a leader in your industry. Other companies will seek you out for advice while at the same time you will attract high-quality alliance partners. Finally, research has been proven that reaching the status of employer of choice leads to the increase of overall company profitability and reduced employee turnover.

While many companies and leaders prefer to adopt a low public profile and avoid seeking the public recognition that goes along with most high-profile organizational awards and recognition, there is no reason why any company could not apply the basic principles for becoming employer of choice or the greatest place to work. These principles include the following:

• Have a well-defined and strong organizational culture that promotes employee synergy and captures their loyalty.
• Provide strong, visible leadership at all levels of the organization.
• Develop a strategic HR plan to accompany your organizational strategies.
• Train, train and train in both technical and people skills.
• Ensure management/employee communication is two-way, frequent and open; ask employees for suggestions.
• Apply recognition programs to demonstrate you value your employees and their contributions.
• Hire and promote excellent people; deal with the bad performers.
• Provide the best pay and benefits you can afford.
• Create HR policies that help workers maintain work/life balance.
• Strive for best practices and be an industry leader.
• Identify career and skill growth for employees.
• Communicate, communicate, communicate.

Achieving success in applying these principles requires the systematic application of several human resource strategies as well as input and feedback from several different sources. So, where do you start?

Please return next month for the conclusion of this article.

Source: Greatest Place to Work website, 2005. HRMAM news release, March 2005.

Article Courtesy of Barbara Bowes. Barbara is president of Bowes Leadership Group, a vice-president of the Women Business Owners of Manitoba and author of the Easy Resume Book: A Transferable Skills Approach. She can be reached at barb@bowesgroup.com.