Contents:

• Welcome
• What's New
• GrandMaster Update

Welcome!

May 2008 - 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:

May 27, 2008 - Greater access for business owners - The CRA wants you to know that you can access even more of your tax information from the convenience of your desktop computer. Recent enhancements to My Business Account make tax time easier for sole proprietors, partners, directors, and officers. (Full Story)

April 22, 2008 - The Workplace Skills Initiative (WSI) is pleased to announce its third Call for Proposals - The Workplace Skills Initiative (WSI) funds demonstration projects which respond to a range of skills-related challenges in Canadian workplaces, in order to improve productivity and position Canada to effectively compete in the global knowledge-based economy. The WSI invites eligible organizations and their partners to develop concept papers that address a number of important areas. (Full Story)

April 17, 2008 - Tax Alert - Working away from home? - The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is reminding Canadians to properly indicate their province or territory of residence on their tax returns. This ensures that you are paying the taxes you owe, and allows the CRA to properly distribute the taxes it collects on behalf of provinces and territories. (Full Story)

April 1, 2008 - Compliance refund hold legislation Restrictions on refunds and rebates - Starting April 1, 2008, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will apply the compliance refund hold legislation to the a number of corporate entities that are exempt from paying federal income tax under subsection 149(1) of the Income Tax Act. These entities include: municipalities, universities, schools, hospitals, non-profit organizations, federal crown corporations and Indian band councils. (Full Story)

Alberta:

May 9, 2008 - New online course gets back to basics on employment standards - A new online program will help Albertans gain a better understanding of their basic rights and responsibilities in the workplace. The Interactive program, aimed at employees and employers, is entitled The Basics of Employment Standards eLearning. The course focuses on requirements under the Employment Standards Code and is broken into eight learning modules. (Full Story)

April 28, 2008 - Non-profit and voluntary strategy tackles workforce challenges - Non-profit organizations are teaming up to find solutions for common labour force challenges. A Workforce Strategy for Alberta’s Non-profit and Voluntary Sector, developed with the support of the Alberta government, identifies ways to address staff recruitment and retention in this valuable sector. (Full Story)

April 23, 2008 - Alberta's economy is on the rise; injury rates aren’t - In today's economy, more people head home safely at the end of their workday because their employer makes time for safety -- great news for workers and employers. Even though Alberta’s workforce has increased by 6%, with nearly two million workers covered by workers’ compensation, injury rates have remained steady and show signs of dropping. (Full Story)

April 17, 2008 - Annual workplace safety statistics provide mixed results - Last year saw fewer workplace injuries in Alberta. This, combined with a growing workforce, resulted in a lost-time claim rate at a record low. However, there were 154 occupational fatalities in 2007, up from 124 in 2006. (Full Story)

April 16, 2008 - Centres offer new services to internationally educated health professionals - The Alberta government is making it easier for internationally educated health professionals to find work in their field. Health Career Centres in Edmonton and Calgary offer a range of services to help doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health professionals who received their training outside of Canada navigate the registration and licensing processes. (Full Story)

British Columbia:

May 14, 2008 - Orienting, training and supervising young workers key to preventing injury - In 2007, six young BC workers (aged 15 – 24) died while working as a deck hand, a quarry truck driver, a diamond driller, a labourer, a mill worker and a diver. These tragic deaths were a part of more than 11,000 young worker injury claims WorkSafeBC accepted in 2007. (Full Story)

May 1, 2008 - Changes to WorkSafeBC’s forestry regulations take effect May 1, 2008 - Changes to forestry regulations in the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation take effect today. The amendments address the changing nature of B.C.'s forest sector, and provide better protection to workers in the areas of supervision and planning, as well as increased safety standards when working in proximity to machinery. (Full Story)

April 17, 2008 - Working at home safety tips from WorkSafeBC - Whether you are renovating or working in your garden, WorkSafeBC has safety information to share with you at the 17th annual Canadian Home Builders’ Association-Central Okanagan’s The Real Home Show at the Kelowna Curling Club from April 18-20, 2008. (Full Story)

April 15, 2008 - More Employment Services Available For The Disabled - The Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance has awarded contracts worth $900,000 to six community-based service providers to deliver supplemental employment services as part of government’s $20-million-a-year Employment Program for Persons with Disabilities (EPPD). (Full Story)

April 10, 2008 - British Columbia Training Tax Credit - Tthe Government of British Columbia has introduced the British Columbia Training Tax Credit to attract people to apprenticeship programs, and to encourage those already enrolled to complete their program. This tax credit is available to both apprentices who were residents of British Columbia at the end of the year and employers of apprentices enrolled in a Red Seal or other program recognized by the Industry Training Authority who carried on a business in British Columbia during the year. (Full Story)

Manitoba:

May 26, 2008 - Young Rural Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Initiative Directs First Project To Education, Employment, Business Creation - Anishinabe Atisokaywin is the first organization to take advantage of the province’s new Young Rural Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Initiative (YRAEI), Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives Minister Rosann Wowchuk announced today. The organization is using provincial funding to host a conference focusing on self-empowerment, and economic and social development opportunities. (Full Story)

April 17, 2008 - Province Introduces Proposed Worker Recruitment And Protection Act - The proposed new Worker Recruitment and Protection Act would substantially strengthen the protection of foreign workers from unscrupulous recruiters, Labour and Immigration Minister Nancy Allan announced today. (Full Story)

April 14, 2008 - Manitoba’s Time Loss Injury Rate Reduced by 25 Per Cent - Labour and Immigration Minister Nancy Allan today announced that preliminary figures show that Manitoba has reduced its time loss injury rate by 25 per cent since 2000 and outlined a new comprehensive prevention plan to further reduce injuries in Manitoba workplaces. (Full Story)

April 10, 2008 - New Funding For Employment Services For Older Workers To Be Provided As Part Of Budget 2008 - Competitiveness, Training and Trade Minister Andrew Swan today announced new funding of $150,000 provided in Budget 2008 for employment services for older workers. "We recognize the valuable skills and experience of older workers as a tremendous asset to the Manitoba economy in terms of meeting the labour market demand," said Swan. (Full Story)

Newfoundland and Labrador:

May 7, 2008 - Success for Single Parents through the Employment Transitions Program - Shawn Skinner, Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employmentrise today announced a successful employment transitions program offered within the Department of Human Resources, Labour and Employment (HRLE) to help single parents in receipt of income support find and secure employment. In 2006, HRLE piloted the program in the Corner Brook area. HRLE is also an active partner with the Single Parent Association of Newfoundland in support of their successful program in St. John’s and Conception Bay North. (Full Story)

April 25, 2008 - Province Taking Action on Review of Workers’ Compensation System - The Provincial Government, along with the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission (WHSCC), is undertaking a series of actions to address the needs of the province’s workplace insurance and compensation system. The Provincial Government believes that the action plan announced today will strengthen client services, reduce claim duration, support early and safe return to work, and strengthen the role of the WHSCC in injury prevention and occupational disease. (Full Story)

April 7, 2008 - News for Employers from the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission - The PRIME experience component is now in effect for all PRIME eligible employers. By managing 2008 claim costs today, you can help minimize costs so that you receive the greatest experience refund or lowest experience charge possible in 2009. For 2008, each PRIME eligible employer has been assigned a PRIME experience incentive range. (Full Story)

New Brunswick:

May 14, 2008 - Province invests more than $490,000 in specialized training for New Brunswickers - The Government of New Brunswick recently invested more than $497,000 for specialized training initiatives throughout the province, Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Ed Doherty announced today. (Full Story)

May 9, 2008 - Labour force grows to another all-time high - The province's labour force, which measures the number of New Brunswickers working or actively seeking work, hit a record 400,600 in April, an increase of 8,700 compared to the same month last year. The number of employed persons in the province also increased, to 367,300, up by 4,600 compared to the same time last year, and up by 1,000 from last month. (Full Story)

April 30, 2008 - Minister's statement / North American Occupational Safety and Health Week - Minister Ed Doherty, on the occasion of North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) week, May 4-10 announced "The purpose of NAOSH week is to focus the attention of employers, employees and the general public on the importance of preventing injury and illness in the workplace. "NAOSH week reminds us of just how important it is to encourage responsible practices to prevent injuries and illnesses at work, at home, and in our communities." (Full Story)

Nova Scotia:

May 7, 2008 - Occupational Safety and Health Professionals Applauded - The efforts of occupational safety, health and environmental professionals to protect Nova Scotians from workplace injury and illness were recognized today, May 7. Nova Scotia is marking the inaugural national Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day, which will be held annually on the Wednesday of North American Occupational Health and Safety Week. (Full Story)

April 24, 2008 - Government Introduces New Department of Labour and Workforce Development- A bill formally creating the Department of Labour and Workforce Development was introduced in the legislature today, April 24. The new department will focus on building a highly skilled, competitive workforce and help ensure workplaces continue to be safe, fair and productive. (Full Story)

April 9, 2008 - New Rates for Workers' Travel Expenses for Health Care and Vocational Rehabilitation - "Workers' Travel Expenses for Vocational Rehabilitation" have been updated to reflect an increase in the private vehicle reimbursement rate from 39.87c/km to 40.51 c/km effective April 7, 2008. This change has been made in accordance with the directive included in the policies indicating that "future travel 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)

Ontario:

May 13, 2008 - Caledon Joins WSIB on Road to Zero Injuries, Illnesses and Fatalities - Town of Caledon Mayor Marolyn Morrison signed on to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board’s (WSIB) Community Workplace Health and Safety Charter today, committing the town to eliminating workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities. "We know that successful workplace safety begins at the top," said Steve Mahoney, WSIB Chair. "That’s why I’m thrilled that Mayor Morrison and her council have endorsed the Charter and committed to serve as role models for all employers in their community." (Full Story - PDF)

May 2, 2008 - Corporate tax harmonization will save Ontario business up to $190 million a year - The Honourable Gordon O'Connor, Minister of National Revenue, and the Honourable Monique Smith, Ontario Minister of Revenue, today joined the Presidents of 160 Boards of Trade and Chambers of Commerce from across Ontario to outline the significant progress that has been made to harmonize the corporate tax system for Ontario businesses. (Full Story)

Prince Edward Island:

May 8, 2008 - New Industry Sectors Added To Pei Job Link - Prince Edward Island’s employment website, PEIJobLink.ca, is expanding its services to include new information to assist job seekers and employers. The website now offers current information about the agriculture, fisheries and transportation sectors and will soon include details on jobs in the tourism sector. New information is also available to assist mature workers find employment. (Full Story)

Saskatchewan:

May 6, 2008 - Wage Increase For Child Care Staff Announced During Early Learning And Child Care Month - As his first official duty during Early Learning and Child Care Month, Education Minister Ken Krawetz today announced a $1.7 million commitment to fund a four per cent increase in wages for individuals working in licensed child care centres. The increase is expected to bring the average hourly wage for trained early childhood educators up from $13.90 per hour to $14.50 per hour. (Full Story)

May 2, 2008 - Learning Partnership Helps Meet Demand For Skilled Labour - The Government of Saskatchewan and the Dumont Technical Institute (DTI) have partnered to ensure Métis people have training opportunities that will allow them to share the benefits of the province's thriving economy and meet the demand for skilled labour. Through this partnership, DTI has established a mobile classroom at a Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure facility in Prince Albert. Space inside the facility's shop is used as a lab for hands-on experience and demonstrations. (Full Story)

April 22, 2008 - Minumum Wage Increases in May - Saskatchewan's minimum wage will increase from $8.25 per hour to $8.60 per hour effective May 1, 2008. The increase is the second of three stages that will see the minimum wage increase to $9.25 per hour in 2009. The minimum call-out pay, which is three times the level of the minimum wage, will also increase accordingly. (Full Story)

The current release of GrandMaster Suite (5.54) incorporates a number of changes to make it even easier to use the program and perform your payroll tasks. Some of the program changes since our last Payroll News issue include:

• The Position “Supervisor” could be invalid when the employee is not active - If you assign a “Supervisor” to a position and at a later date the employee assigned to the position as the “Supervisor” no longer has Active status the position would still indicate that the employee supervises the position. With this release we have made a change to verify the supervisor payroll status and when the supervisor is not active the position “Supervisor” will be vacant.
• Deduction calculation method 153 has been added for pension related deductions - With this release we have added a new deduction calculation method (153) that allows the user to input a maximum annual earnings cap as required by the LAPP. This new deduction code works the same as code 30 but you now have an annual earnings cap to restrict the amount of earnings considered when calculating the deduction.
• You are now able to include the employer portion of CPP and EI on pay statements - We have made a change, included in this release, to allow you to print employee pay statements including the employer CPP and EI amounts when you choose to print benefits with deductions. To enable this option you will need to select the Print Stat Benefits option after first choosing the Print Benefits with Deductions option.
• Parental and Compassionate Care codes have been added to the ROE processing -
  We have made a change to the ROE processing to include the Parental - code “P” and Compassionate Care code - “Z” as reasons for leaving employment. Prior to this change the Parental designation was included under code “F Maternity or Pregnancy” while the Compassionate Care option is a new code.
• The employee email address can be exported using the Customized Payroll Report - This release includes a change to the Customized Payroll Report to allow you to export the employee’s email address. This new option is useful where you wish to create a file that contains employee information including the employee email address.
• The Customized Payroll Report has been modified to include EI hours amounts - With this release we have added the option to print or export employee EI hours information. This is useful when you have employees who are paid by piece work and the units entered are not the same as the EI hours.
• The Edit Year-End File option now allows you to edit T4A box 46 amounts - Prior to this release amounts assigned to box 46 on the T4 as donations to charity would also be included on the T4A. Since the T4A does include a box 46 for charitable donation amounts we have made a change to separate the box 46 (T4) from the box 46 (T4A). At this time the box 46 amount assigned to the T4A is only available as an edit to your Year-End file. This change also corrects the problem where amounts to box 46 that should appear on the T4 are not also included on a T4A.

• • •

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

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There is cash cost to job switching
By: Wendy Mclellan

The idea that the workplace has changed and job security retired with your grandparents has become part of our accepted wisdom, but it may be more urban myth than reality.

A new study by a University of B.C. sociologist suggests the old-fashioned work model of staying with one employer may still be the best route to success, despite the typical career advice given to young workers that they need to change jobs to get ahead.

"The idea that careers are changing and there are no lifetime jobs any more was sold as good for workers as a way to jump-start their careers, but it was really self-serving for employers," says Sylvia Fuller, an assistant professor at UBC and author of the study published in a recent issue of the American Sociological Review.

"Things haven't changed anywhere near as much as the rhetoric would have us believe."

Fuller questioned the facts behind the rhetoric and looked at how frequent job changes affect workers' paycheques and their employment history.

Using data from a U.S. National Longitudinal study that tracked 6,000 young workers during their first 12 years in the labour market, along with details from dozens of previous studies, she found that career mobility comes with a price for workers.

After the first few years in the workforce, when people are expected to change jobs more frequently to find the right fit, Fuller found that each job change reduced the worker's wages by a little more than one per cent.

Changing jobs a half-dozen times means a worker would earn about six per cent less than someone who stayed with the same employer. Workers with higher than average mobility also spent more time out of the workforce.

"I'm not saying you should never change jobs, but it's not going to pay off as a wage growth strategy," Fuller says. "You may get nicer co-workers or a great boss, but career mobility may not result in higher earnings."

The talk about the end of job security and one-employer careers coincided with downsizing and outsourcing in the mid-1990s, she says. Employers wanted the flexibility to adjust their workforce and the concept of building careers by changing jobs gained momentum.

"It was a way to change expectations about job security, and it had a big impact" Fuller says. "It changed the career advice given to new workers."

While workers who changed jobs several time during the first five years in the labour market saw their wages increase with each move, the trend reversed if their mobility continued.

"Early voluntary mobility can improve wages but after five years of working you start to lose ground if you haven't found your place in the labour market," she says.

"Even if you're not fired or laid off, changing jobs later in your career doesn't tend to bring any monetary benefits."

One reason is that workers lose benefits they would have gained from tenure associated with longer-term employment, Fuller says. As well, frequent job changes may lead some prospective employers to question why the worker is unable to hold a job.

"The rhetoric is that the path to upward mobility is through changing jobs but workers who do it are penalized," she says.

"Overall, the way to get ahead is still much the same as it was for our grandparents. You look around a little, find a job that suits you and try to move up.

"Money isn't everything; you have to find a job you love. But then the real benefits come from long-term jobs and stability."

-- Canwest News Service