Contents:

• Welcome
• What's New
• GrandMaster Update

Welcome!

October 2007 - 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:

October 9, 2007 - EDC Named "Top 100 Employer" for Seventh Year in a Row - Export Development Canada is proud to announce that it has been recognized as one of Canada's "Top 100 Employers" for the seventh consecutive year. In addition, EDC has been recognized as a Top 20 employer in the National Capital Region for the second year in a row. With a focus on green initiatives and environmental leadership, employee engagement and innovative programs to recruit new Canadians, EDC has made the list for a record seven years straight. (Full Story)

September 27, 2007 - Expedited Labour Market Opinion (E-LMO) Pilot Project - Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC)/Service Canada (SC) has implemented a pilot project in Alberta and British Columbia to expedite the processing of Labour Market Opinions (LMO) for several occupations including Dental Technicians, Pharmacists and Registered Nurses, to name a few. (Full Story)

September 4, 2007 - Canada Revenue Agency interest rates for the fourth 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 October 1, 2007, to December 31, 2007. (Full Story)

Alberta:

September 27, 2007 - Minister talks investment and skilled labour attraction in Asia - Fostering strong relationships, raising awareness of business opportunities and discussing immigration of skilled labour is the focus of a government mission to Asia in October. Iris Evans, Minister of Employment, Immigration and Industry, said "This mission is a chance to highlight Alberta's positive investment environment, vast opportunities in all industry sectors and our employment options for foreign workers, as we work to increase our industrial development capacity." (Full Story)

September 10, 2007 - Alberta’s safest employers have reason to celebrate - The Alberta government has released its 2006 list of Best Safety Performers. These awards are presented to Alberta companies that hold health and safety at the forefront and have the performance records to prove it. The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Council recognized 284 Alberta employers with exceptional records in workplace health and safety in 2006. (Full Story)

September 2007 - Surcharge increase aims to motivate employers to make health and safety a priority - Most alberta employers are working hard despite the relentless demands of a growing economy -- to keep their workers safe on the job and support them after an injury. But a very small percentage of employers show sustained poor safety and claims management performance. WCB hopes an increased poor performance surcharge will prompt them to change. (Full Story)

British Columbia:

October 5, 2007 - "Grant’s Law” To Protect Late-Night Workers - A regulation requiring a mandatory prepayment system at service stations throughout the province will be in effect Feb. 1, 2008, to help protect employees who work late at night, Labour and Citizens’ Services Minister Olga Ilich said today. "Government’s priority is to protect all workers in British Columbia," said Ilich. "We want to make sure that people return home safely after a day’s work." (Full Story)

October 3, 2007 - Action Plan Supports Small Business Growth - Government and the small business community have partnered to develop an action plan to support small business growth and achieve the goal of making British Columbia Canada’s most small-business-friendly jurisdiction. One of the Action Plan's priorities is to help businesses build their workforce capacity. (Full Story)

September 28, 2007 - Notice posted for new case management system - A Notice to Vendors has been posted on the BC Bid website, advising interested parties of government’s intention to implement a new state-of-the-art integrated case management system. The integrated case management system is a computer system that will be used by employees in the ministries of Employment and Income Assistance and Children and Family Development to manage and keep track of clients’ data and personal information. (Full Story)

Manitoba:

October 15, 2007 - Workforce Challenges And Opportunities Focus Of Two-Day Conference - A forum designed to bridge employment, training, recruitment and retention needs with a skilled Aboriginal labour force called the Workforce Connex Manitoba Forum is being held today in Winnipeg, said Healthy Living Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross. The two-day forum is hosted by the Aboriginal Human Resource Council of Canada in co-operation with Aboriginal human resource development agreement holders and a number of private companies. (Full Story)

October 11, 2007 - Province Extends Technical Vocational Initiative - Training and Trade Minister Jim Rondeau announced $8.2 million in funding to extend the successful Technical Vocational Initiative (TVI) for four years. "Manitoba’s strong economy has fuelled the need for more workers in skilled trades and high-tech, high-demand occupations from autobody and construction to the aerospace and biotechnology sectors," Rondeau said. "We want to ensure these industries can grow and expand here in Manitoba by having a highly-skilled, adaptable workforce to meet future market demands." (Full Story)

September 27, 2007 - Province Focuses on Apprenticeship System - A newly-formed Apprenticeship Futures Commission will engage the public and industry to make recommendations on enhancing and expanding Manitoba’s apprenticeship and certification system to better meet the needs of the province’s labour market, Competitiveness, Training and Trade Minister Jim Rondeau announced today. (Full Story)

September 11, 2007 - Safe Work Ad Campaign Focuses Attention on Need for Safety Training in the Workplace - The latest SAFE Work ad campaign emphasizing the importance of workplace safety training was introduced today. The four-week campaign aims for maximum impact by featuring young children doing adult jobs amidst a host of workplace hazards, with little direction from their supervisor other than to be careful. The campaign drives home the message that safe workers are not born that way, they need training. (Full Story)

September 10, 2007 - Province Launches Innovative, Online Business Service To Better Serve Manitoba's More Than 40,000 Businesses - Businesses now have improved access to online services and their tax accounts with the launch of a new website called TAXcess, Finance Minister Greg Selinger announced today. Using the new TAXcess service, businesses can, among other things, securely and conveniently register for payroll tax or retail sales tax; file retail sales tax and payroll tax returns; pay retail sales, payroll, corporation capital, gasoline and motive fuel taxes through pre-authorized payment and update business and contact information. (Full Story)

New Brunswick:

October 5, 2007- Over 13,000 more New Brunswickers working than last September - There were 13,400 more New Brunswickers working compared to last September, and the labour force also saw significant growth with 12,200 more participants from the same time last year. Figures released by Statistics Canada show that there were 363,100 New Brunswickers employed in September, up by 13,400 from the same time last year. (Full Story)

September 18, 2007 - Federal and provincial governments partner to promote skilled trades to young people in New Brunswick - Funding has been announced for Skills Canada New Brunswick to help build awareness of the career options in skilled trades available to young people across the province. Justice and Consumer Affairs Minister T.J. Burke and Tobique-Mactaquac MP Mike Allen made the announcement today. (Full Story)

September 7, 2007 - 12,900 more people working than at the same time last year - New Brunswick experienced the second-largest employment growth in the country last month, with 12,900 more New Brunswickers working than at the same time last year. The labour force also grew by 8,600, to stand at 393,500 over the same period. (Full Story)

Nova Scotia:

October 16, 2007 - Employers Encouraged to Check Fall Protection Equipment- Employers in Nova Scotia are encouraged to examine the safety of fall-protection systems in light of a recent industrial accident. The Department of Environment and Labour encourages anyone using this type of fall-arrest system to ensure is being used by properly trained individuals; and to develop a regular maintenance and inspection program for the equipment. (Full Story)

October 4, 2007 - WCB Makes Update to Policy: Travel Expenses - Policy 2.1.1R5 Workers’ Travel Expenses for Health Care and Policy 4.2.4R3 Workers’ Travel Expenses for Vocational Rehabilitation have been updated to reflect an increase in the meal allowance rates effective September 27th, 2007. These changes have been made in accordance with the directive included in the policies indicating that "future meal allowance rates will be adjusted, on a go-forward basis, following notification from the Director of Human Resources that the rates for Workers’ Compensation Board employees have increased". (Full Story)

September 4, 2007 - WCB levies employer surcharges for the first time - In an effort to improve injury rates and return to work performance in Nova Scotia, the WCB is, for the first time, levying surcharges on 79 employers with consistently poor safety and return to work records. Last week the WCB mailed packages to the 18,000 employers it covers, notifying them of their 2008 workers’ compensation assessment rates. (Full Story)

September 4, 2007 - Maximum Assessable/Insurable earnings set for 2008 - The maximum assessable/insurable earnings (per person, per year) for 2008 has been set to $48,400. The Maximum Assessable / Insurable Earnings refers to maximum annual earnings on which premiums are calculated for each worker of a covered employer, and on which benefits are calculated for those who are injured at work. (Full Story)

Ontario:

October 11, 2007 - Family Day To Be Celebrated Every Third Monday Of February - Premier Dalton McGuinty got back to work today on behalf of hard-working Ontario families by confirming that he would create a new statutory holiday this February called Family Day. Adding Family Day to the calendar would give Ontario workers and families a total of nine statutory holidays per year, putting the province on par with Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. (Full Story)

October 2007 - New WSIB Call Centre - Starting in October 2007, when callers contact the WSIB via the general enquiry lines, their call will be answered by a new recorded announcement. Callers will be able to find the staff member or service that they are looking for by using the automated prompts. (Full Story)

September 6, 2007 - McGuinty Government Attracts 1,000 Jobs To Mississauga - An international BPO today opened a new customer contact centre in Mississauga with plans to bring up to 1,000 jobs to Peel Region, said Minister of Small Business and Entrepreneurship and Mississauga Centre MPP Harinder Takhar. "This is the result of our government's aggressive efforts to bring good jobs and more opportunities to workers and families across Ontario," said Takhar. (Full Story)

September 6, 2007 - McGuinty Government Expands Student Health And Safety Program - Health and safety learning takes on a more youthful aspect this fall as the Live Safe! Work Smart! workplace health and safety program for students moves into Ontario's elementary schools. A recent Institute for Work & Health study found that 53% of 12-14 year old Ontario students have some paid employment (Full Story)

Prince Edward Island:

October 18, 2007 - WCB Launches Corporate Strategic Plan and Safety Matters @ Work Logo - The Workers Compensation Board (WCB) launched a new five-year Corporate Strategic Plan that identifies key challenges for the future and demonstrates the Board’s commitment to measurable results. WCB’s new logo is making its first public appearance on the Corporate Strategic Plan. The new logo accentuates the organization’s ongoing commitment to injury prevention in Prince Edward Island. (Full Story)

September 2007 - Information Guide For Workers Filing a Claim with the Workers Compensation Board - The Workers Compensation Board is an independent, non-profit mutual insurance organization operating under the provincial Workers Compensation and Occupational Health and Safety Acts. The Workers Compensation Act is a law of the province of Prince Edward Island that provides benefits to workers who have a workplace injury and protects employers from legal action. (Full Story)

Saskatchewan:

October 5, 2007 - Business Guide Designed to Help Employers Better Understand WCB - A Guide to the Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board for Business (WCB) was released and is designed to give businesses in the province a better understanding of how the WCB works. It was developed by the WCB in cooperation with the Saskatchewan branch of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). The guide will help employers do business with the WCB in a more efficient and timely manner. (Full Story)

October 5, 2007 - Job Number Continue Their Record Pace - Saskatchewan has now marked 18 straight months of record employment with the best September ever for people working in the province. Statistics Canada figures released today show 504,400 people were working in the province last month (seasonally unadjusted figure). That beats by 5,300 the old mark for September set last year. (Full Story)

October 3, 2007 - Recruiting More Physicians Focus Of UK Trip - Saskatchewan's health recruitment agency is traveling to a recruitment fair in London, England, to attract physicians to Saskatchewan. Started in October 2006, the recruitment agency - HealthCareersInSask.ca - is a no-fee one-stop health care recruitment web site connecting health workers with career opportunities in Saskatchewan's health regions and the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency. (Full Story)

September 28, 2007- Retention Grants To Keep Health Workers In Saskatchewan - More Saskatchewan health care workers can look forward to improved workplaces, reduced burnout and more professional development opportunities, thanks to a series of new projects funded by retention grants first introduced by the provincial government in January. (Full Story)

September 6, 2007 - Saskatchewan Employers Say Family-Friendly Practices Keep Employees - A new publication telling the story of several Saskatchewan workplaces successfully helping employees to balance work and family responsibilities was released in Regina today. The publication, Saskatchewan Work & Family Balance Awards - 2005 Award Winners and Honour Roll Members, details the work done by 14 Saskatchewan workplaces to become more family friendly. (Full Story)

September 6, 2007 - Revised Information for Workers Is Now Available - The Saskatchewan WCB has released a new, revised Information for Workers handbook. This handbook includes updates to the benefits and services available to injured workers. (Full Story - PDF)

September 4, 2007 - New WCB Brochure: The Right Care at the Right Time - A new brochure is now available titled "The Right Care at the Right Time: Health Care for Injured Workers". This brochure explains how important it is that injured workers receive appropriate medical care at each stage of their recovery. It also explains how the health care provider, employer and the WCB work together to promote the worker's return to work and wellness. (Full Story - PDF)

Yukon:

September 27, 2007 - Depression in Workplace Focus of Mental Illness Awareness Week - Health and Social Services Minister Brad Cathers is pleased to see Mental Health Services partnering with community businesses and organizations including Northwestel, Yukon College and the City of Whitehorse to organize sessions on depression in the workplace for supervisors, human resource professionals and other employees. (Full Story)

October 2007 - Our Website Can Talk - To better serve their visitors, the Yukon Workers' Compensation Health and Safety Board has enabled their web site with speech capabilities. By downloading and installing the free Browsealoud software from TextHelp, you can simply point at text on their web pages and it will be read aloud to you. (Full Story)

The current release of GrandMaster Suite (5.42) 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:

• Payroll Condition group now supports multiple Distributions as a group parameter - With this release we have modified the Payroll Condition group settings to allow you build a group based on multiple distributions instead of the single distribution as was the case prior to the change. This change allows you to continue to build your condition group based on the single distribution but now you may use multiple distributions up to a maximum of 100. When the group is built the members of the group will be based on the conditions you select and when you opt to use the distributions as an option the group will filter out employees whose default distribution (Payroll Specific Information - Base/Default) does not match the distribution or distributions you have selected as a group condition.
• The Import Pay Hours process now allows you to save up to 200 sets of parameters - The Import Pay Hours process has been modified to allow you to save your import parameters to forms much like you save settings for reports. This will allow you to have up to 200 different sets of import parameters saved so that you will only need to select the appropriate Import Definition Name from the drop down list provided prior to performing an import. This change allows you to save time by not having to edit import settings.
• Access to the G/L Validation List added to the Payroll menu - The G/L Validation List allows you to update your database with the Chart of Accounts you use to journalize your payroll data. Prior to this release the G/L Validation List was only accessible through the Distribution Tables and you were required to "drill down" several screens in order to find this dialog box. With this release we have brought the G/L Validation List forward to the Payroll menu providing you more direct access to this tool to update your Chart of Accounts prior to updating the Distribution Tables. The original functionality also remains and you will still be able to access the G/L Validation List from within the Distribution Table edit.
• You may now print an Interim Pay Statement prior to closing the pay sequence - We have modified the Pay Statement report to allow you to print an Interim Pay Statement prior to closing the pay sequence. This option is available in the Payroll module's Current Reports menu as well as in the Employee module's Calculation menu. The Interim Pay Statement will be a stub only statement and you will still be required to close the pay period prior to printing cheques or creating an EFT file. This change is useful to those who need to submit calculated results to employees or department heads to confirm that the information is correct prior to closing the pay sequence.
• The Pending Termination process modified to include additional pay status settings - This release includes a change to the Pending Termination process to allow you to select On Leave or Laid Off as status parameters when building a group of employees to process ROE data. The new status options will not be selected by default and you would need to select these options if you wish to have employees with either of the status settings included in your Pending Termination group.
• The Emergency Contact list has been modified to reorganize the list view - We have made a minor change to the Emergency Contact list (HR module) so that the contact name and telephone number are immediately visible in the list. This change allows you to easily view the list and contact numbers to expedite the process of contacting someone in the event of an emergency. Prior to this release you would have to scroll over or edit the contact to view the name and telephone number.
  o Support added to CashLink for Payrolls EFT format - With this release we have added the CashLink for Payrolls EFT file format. This change allows you to create an EFT file for transmission to CashLink, as per the DirectCash Load Money (DCLM) specifications, allowing your employee pay to be applied directly to a debit card account.
• Ability to store and access employee documents added to Human Resource Module - With this release we have added the option to store links to employee documents in the Human Resource Module. This will allow you to update the database with the path and file name for your employee documents such as resumes, employment applications, evaluations, etc. and once the link to the document is in place you may view or edit the document from within the Employee Module in HR. This new option is available by selecting the Employee Document Archive located in the employee Data menu. The archive list allows you to Insert, Edit (view) or Delete document links. When you edit the document, the file will open with the application that is associated with that type of file.
• The Earnings and Benefits setup process now includes EHT as a flag option - With this release we have added the EHT option to earning and benefit setup enabling you to uncouple the EHT amounts from taxable amounts. This was necessary because in some cases you may have a benefit that is subject to EHT but is not taxable. Prior to this change any earnings and benefits flagged as taxable would also be subject to an EHT calculation if applicable. With this change if you have an earning or benefit that is taxable it will automatically be subject to EHT. You will need to edit your earning or benefit settings if you have an earning or benefit that is subject to EHT but not taxable. Further, when defining a new earning when you select the taxable flag the EHT flag will also be selected however, when changing the EHT setting the taxable flag will not be automatically changed.
• Support added to EFT file format for CashLink for Payrolls - With this release we have added the option to create an EFT file in a format that may be used with or imported into the CashLink for Payrolls software. This is useful for users who utilize the CashLink software to upload employee pay amounts directly to a debit card. When access to a financial institution is impossible due to remoteness of the community, the employee's pay is loaded may be onto a debit card that they may use for making purchases where the debit option is available.
• Measures added to prevent the accidental deletion of a payroll - With this release we have made changes to prevent a user, other than "SUPERVISOR" from deleting a payroll. This change became necessary when several reports were made of users deleting a payroll in error thinking they were deleting something else. We have also made changes to the warning message displayed during the delete payroll process so that, if read, clearly indicates the operation you are about to perform and that valuable data will be lost when continuing.
• Employee count added to Transaction Report totals - With this release we have added a count of employees in the Transaction Report sort total. This feature allows you to easily see the number of employees included in the sort total.
  o Employee number added to Employee Rates reports - The Employee Rates reports - Earning, Deduction and Accumulator have been modified to include the employee number in the printed report. This change will allow you to reconcile the employee name with the employee number.
• Payout All to Group accumulator payout option added - With this release we have added the option to payout an accumulator balance to a group of employees. This new option, Payout All to Group, makes it more convenient to payout the accumulator balances for a group of employees in cases such as a yearly payout of vacation pay. Prior to this release you could only perform the Payout All one employee at a time. This change allows you to select the accumulator to payout the balance and assign the group that you wish to have the payout applied to.
• The Payroll Register, Range and Calculation Total reports now include deduction sub-totals - With this release we have modified the Payroll Register, Payroll Range and Calculation Total reports to provide totals for the Statutory Deductions and Company Deductions. Prior to this change we provided a total of all deductions which for some was either inconvenient or confusing because they wanted to see a breakdown of the statutory deductions separately from the company deduction amounts.
  

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

Dynamics of a Three-Sided Coin (Part 1 of 2)
By Barbara Bowes

Take steps to avoid an abrupt end during reference checking

Reference checking is a popular tool for verifying information about a prospective employee.

It's a time in the job search process when everyone is on edge, hoping for the best. But sometimes, unexpectedly, there's an abrupt ending to the hiring process. Why?

Well, perhaps it's because either the former employer won't co-operate or the reference wasn't positive. Reference checking is really a dynamic three-sided coin involving the former employer (referee), the potential employer and the candidate and everyone has to play the game.

However, today many larger companies are changing their reference policies. Concerned about exposure to litigation from both former employees as well as potential employers, these companies are restricting who is authorized to provide references or are no longer willing to give references at all.

Still other firms are alternatively adopting a "statement of service" document that simply verifies the basic facts outlining dates of employment, titles and a description of duties. As you can expect, this strategy of limiting reference information can be particularly frustrating to potential new employers who try hard to get a well-rounded view of their candidates.

So let's see how each of the employer, referee and candidate can contribute effectively to the reference checking process.

First of all, my experience shows that most former employers will indeed provide information to a potential new employer. However, it's important to establish a protocol and a process to make this stage of the recruitment process more fruitful. Next, train all managers on your reference checking process. Then consider the following strategies:

Request candidate references that enable you to get a well-rounded view. For management positions, ask for a former supervisor, a subordinate and at least two colleagues. For other positions, ask for a supervisor or project leader as well as teammates. External referees are welcome if they can make objective comments about the current qualifications required. Family members should be excluded.

If your candidate doesn't wish to use a former employer as a reference, don't be alarmed. It's not uncommon for people to leave for personality conflict reasons, especially when they can't change things. Simply ask for a supervisor they've worked with in the last five years.

Ask candidates to sign a written declaration giving the referee permission to provide information and fax to the referee. Better yet, ask the candidates to notify referees to expect your telephone call.

Use the same standardized behaviourally-based interview questions that were used with the candidate. Focus on concrete examples of work skills and accomplishments.

Avoid the question "Would you hire the candidate again?" unless your job is exactly the same as the candidate's previous job. Otherwise, the response may be quite ineffective for your needs and may be misleading.

Don't ask about the candidate's former rate of pay. This may annoy the referee as it could be seen as competitive intelligence. And remember, many people move jobs in order to increase their salary status.

Speak to at least one reference check prior to moving the candidate forward to the final stages. This saves time and effort.

Please return next month for the conclusion of this article.

Working World with Barbara Bowes are books about workplace issues both from an employer and employee perspective. Topics range from how to conduct performance appraisals to conducting a job search or recognizing and managing bullying in the workplace. Volumn 1 is from an employer pespective, and Volumne 2 is aimed at employees. You can purchase the books online via Bowes HR.