Contents:

• Welcome
• What's New
• GrandMaster Update

January 2010 - 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:

December 31, 2009 - Government Announces 2010 Automobile Deduction Limits and Expense Benefit Rates for Business - The Minister of Finance today announced that the automobile expense deduction limits and the prescribed rates for the automobile operating expense benefits from 2009 will continue to apply in 2010. For example, the limit on the deduction of tax-exempt allowances paid by employers to employees using their personal vehicle for business purposes for 2010 will remain at 52 cents per kilometre for the first 5,000 kilometres driven and 46 cents for each additional kilometre. (Full Story)

December 18, 2009 - Improvements to Electronic Records of Employment - On March 15, 2009, the Government of Canada made two important changes to the Employment Insurance (EI) Regulations that affect employers who use electronic methods such as ROE Web to submit Records of Employment (ROEs): employers can now issue electronic ROEs up to five calendar days after the end of the pay period in which the employee's interruption of earnings begins; and employers who submit ROEs electronically are no longer required to print paper copies for their employees. (Full Story)

December 16, 2009 - T4032 Payroll Deductions Tables - Effective January 1, 2010 - The new Payroll Deductions Tables (T4032) effective January 1, 2010 are now available on the CRA Web site. This publication contains tables for federal and provincial tax deductions, CPP contributions and EI premiums. It will help you determine the payroll deductions for your employees or pensioners. (Full Story)

December 16, 2009 - T4008 Payroll Deductions Supplementary Tables - Effective January 1, 2010 - The new Payroll Deductions Supplementary Tables (T4008) effective January 1, 2010 are now available on the CRA Web site. Files provided contain the following periods: hourly, daily (240 working days), or 10, 13, or 22 pay periods a year. Depending on your payday, you could have 53 weekly or 27 biweekly pay periods in a year. In this case, you need to obtain the 53 or 27 pay period tax and CPP tables, which are available on the CRA website. (Full Story)

December 15, 2009 - Revised Payroll Deductions Formulas for Computer Programs - The new Payroll Deductions Formulas for Computer Programs effective January 1, 2010 is now available on the CRA Web site. The publication contains the formulas you need to determine federal, provincial (except Quebec), and territorial income taxes, Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions, and Employment Insurance (EI) premium deductions. The formulas also allow you to calculate payroll deductions for special cases such as commission, pension income, bonuses, and retroactive pay increases. (Full Story)

December 12, 2009 - TOD Revisions - The Tables on Diskette (TOD) effective January 1, 2010 have been revised to reflect a change in the surtax threshold amounts for Ontario. If you have downloaded TOD before December 18, 2009, please download it again to obtain the revised version. Tables On Diskette (TOD) is a stand-alone computer program that calculates the Canada Pension Plan (CPP); Employment Insurance (EI); and federal, provincial (except Quebec) and territorial tax deductions for all pay periods. (Full Story)

December 10, 2009 - Revised Payroll Deductions Online Calculator - The new Payroll Deductions Online Calculator and Tables on Diskette effective January 1, 2010 are now available on the CRA Web site. It helps you calculate payroll deductions for all provinces (except for Quebec), and territories based on the information you provide. To calculate payroll deductions for Quebec, download the WINRAS program from Revenu Quebec. (Full Story)

Alberta:

January 7, 2010 - Reporting Insurable Earnings - As an employer, you are required to report your workers’ insurable earnings to WCB-Alberta by the end of February each year. You must report the earnings of all workers, regardless of their occupations in your business. This includes administrative and dual function workers. Insurable earnings are the portion of your workers’ gross earnings upon which your premiums are based. (Full Story - PDF)

December 14, 2009 - WCB Annual Returns - Starting January 1, 2010, employers can file their annual returns with WCB-Alberta. The easiest way to file is online. Filing online is easy and accurate thanks to automated calculations and built-in error checking. Starting in late December, all employers will be sent an individual password to access this service. (Full Story)

December 2009 - Labour Force Statistics - The Alberta Government provides a complete listing of current and historical Labour Force statistics on their website. Highlights are available by 8:00 a.m. on the day of the Labour Force Survey statistics release. (Full Story)

December 2009 - Temporary Foreign Worker Guide for Employers - The Employment Alberta website offers a guide that will help ensure employers are meeting the requirements related to the federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program, employment standards, workplace health and safety, contracting an employment agency, worker's compensation, Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta, and the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program. (Full Story - PDF)

British Columbia:

December 22, 2009 - Community Health Employees Reach Agreement - A tentative agreement has been reached on a two-year contract for workers in the community health sector. Community health employees include home-support workers who help the elderly in their own homes, alcohol and drug counsellors, staff at adult day centres as well as child development centres and those working in mental health group homes. Many people working in community health are employed by contracted agencies, while some work for the Province's health authorities. (Full Story)

December 2009 - Hiring Immigrants Already in B.C. - WorkBC offers useful information on addressing labour shortages through the hiring and retention of immigrants. Immigrants provide an employer with a rich source of local talent, broadening the pool of qualified candidates and increasing an organization's competitive edge. Skilled immigrants are highly educated, usually bilingual and sometimes multilingual. Their varied backgrounds and experiences enhance workplace culture and foster creativity and innovation. (Full Story)

December 2009 - B.C. Employment Trends - At 8.4%, B.C.'s unemployment rate rose slightly between November and December. The unemployment rate one year ago was 3.1 percentage points lower at 5.3%. B.C.'s rate remains just below the national rate (8.5%), which remained unchanged from November. Total employment in B.C. decreased by 700 jobs in December, maintaining employment at approximately 2.26 million. This is 1.6%, or 36,300 less jobs, than one year ago. (Full Story - PDF)

Manitoba:

January 20, 2010 - Consultation on Renaming the Workers Compensation Board - The WCB has release a paper asking respondents if the WCB should change its name to reflect its commitment to the prevention of workplace injuries in order to better align its brand with SAFE Work Manitoba. The WCB is requesting that all interested Manitoba employers, workers, and their respective organizations submit written comments on the subject. (Full Story - PDF)

December 17, 2009 - Third Stage Of Wage Increases For Manitoba Construction Workers - The final stage of a three-stage improvement in the construction industry wage rates will take effect Jan. 1. This is the third wage increase based on recommendations of the Construction Industry Wages Consultation Panel in January 2008. In the heavy construction sector, wages will rise between 2.5 and three per cent effective Jan. 1. In the ICI sector, the wage schedule is generally increasing around four per cent as of Jan. 1. (Full Story)

December 15, 2009 - Government Announces Investment To Help Create Manitoba Jobs - The Manitoba Government today announced support to help increase economic opportunities in Powerview-Pine Falls. The Winnipeg River Learning Centre is receiving $2.7 million in federal funding and $600,000 in provincial funding to retrofit and upgrade their current facilities in order to expand access to training programs. (Full Story)

December 11, 2009 - WCB December 2009 Update Newsletter - The Worker's Compensation Board of Manitoba has released their monthly update and includes useful articles on the following topics: Average Assessment Rates, Reporting Workers Earnings, Safety Services Manitoba 2010 Conference, New Rate Letter for Some
Firms, Learning About Workplace Safety,the SAFE Work Campaign and more. (Full Story - PDF)

New Brunswick:

January 22, 2010 - Record percentage of NBCC/CCNB graduates employed in N.B. - The percentage of employed community college graduates who found work in New Brunswick reached a record high in 2009. Ninety-four per cent of employed graduates from the New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) / Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB) found work in New Brunswick last year, up four percentage points from the previous year. The level of employment related to training in the reference week was 83 per cent in 2009, down two percentage points from the previous year. (Full Story)

January 5, 2010 - Minimum wage will rise to Atlantic average by September 2011 - The minimum wage in New Brunswick will increase to meet the Atlantic average by Sept. 1, 2011, as part of a long-term plan announced today. The recommended increases will fulfill the provincial government's commitment to raise the minimum wage to the Atlantic average by Sept. 1, 2011, which is expected to reach $10 per hour. (Full Story)

January 8, 2010 - New Brunswick one of only two provinces to experience increase in employment level in 2009 - New Brunswick's annual average employment level increased slightly while the labour force held steady in 2009. The province's annual average employment level increased by 0.1 per cent while Saskatchewan's increased by 1.5 per cent. Manitoba's level remained unchanged, while all other provinces experienced declines in employment. The national level decreased by 1.6%. (Full Story)

January 2010 - Win free registration for the WorkSafeNB 2010 Annual Health and Safety Conference - WorkSafeNB's Annual Health and Safety Conference is scheduled for October 17-19 at the Delta Beauséjour in Moncton, and they are looking for ideas for workshop topics. All names of those who send suggestions for a topic will be put into a draw for a free registration and two nights accommodation (if the winner lives outside the Greater Moncton area). (Full Story)

December 21, 2009 - Provincial summer job applications now available - Applications are now available to university and college students and to high school graduates who will be continuing their education next year for next summer's provincially funded Student Employment and Experience Development (SEED) program. Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Donald Arseneault made the announcement today. The program provides employers with a supplement equal to the minimum wage rate per hour to help students gain work experience while earning a wage. (Full Story)

Newfoundland and Labrador:

January 18, 2010 - Graduate Employment Program Expanded - The Williams Government's Youth Retention and Attraction Strategy, a long-term plan that will guide investments aimed at making Newfoundland and Labrador a province of choice for young people, is already having a positive impact through initiatives such as the expansion of the Graduate Employment Program (GEP). As part of the province's Youth Retention and Attraction Strategy, funding for the GEP will be increased by over $2 million during the next three years, including $200,000 that has been approved to expand the program for the fiscal year 2009-10. (Full Story)

January 8, 2010 - Increased Funding Supports Aspiring Apprentices - With an additional $1.25 million being provided over a two-year period for the Provincial Government Hiring Apprenticeship Program, more apprentices will find employment, allowing them to proceed to advanced-level training. The additional funding will be provided to the Department of Transportation and Works, schools boards, health authorities, and Newfoundland Labrador Housing to support an increase in the hiring of apprentices within government departments and agencies. (Full Story)

December 22, 2009 - Minimum Wage to Increase on January 1 - Effective January 1, 2010, the provincial minimum wage will increase by 50 cents to $9.50 per hour. This increase represents another step by the Provincial Government toward meeting its commitment of achieving a minimum wage of $10 per hour by 2010. The current series of increases to the minimum wage began on January 1, 2009, when the minimum wage was increased to $8.50 per hour.. (Full Story)

December 10, 2009 - Media Advisory: Minister to Open Career Work Centre in Corner Brook - Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment Susan Sullivan opened a new Career Work Centre located on the second floor of 1-3 Union Street in Corner Brook on Friday, December 11. This new facility is part of a network of Career Work Centres that is being established throughout the province and provide a full range of labour market information and employment services designed to help job seekers explore their career options and help businesses adapt to labour market trends. (Full Story)

December 7, 2009 - Labour Market Development Agreement Will Strengthen Provincial Workforce - Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment Susan Sullivan announced the transfer of responsibility of the Labour Market Development Agreement programs and services from the Federal Government to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. This will help the government to better meet the employment needs of individuals throughout the province and to support local labour market and economic development priorities. (Full Story)

Nova Scotia:

January 18, 2010 - Province Introduces Fines to Reduce Workplace Injuries - The province will now issue fines in a move to improve workplace safety and compliance with the laws. The regulations came into effect Jan. 15. The new administrative penalties regulations, which were announced in September, will allow an administrator in the Department of Labour and Workforce Development's occupational health and safety division to assign a penalty after reviewing orders issued by a health and safety officer. (Full Story)

December 22, 2009 - Review Committee Continues to Recommend Minimum Wage Increase - While Nova Scotia's Minimum Wage Review Committee continues to explore options, it has advised the province to keep the committee's recommended scheduled minimum-wage increases. In 2008, the committee developed a three-year, minimum-wage increase schedule which would put the rate at $9.20 on April 1, 2010 and $9.65 on Oct. 1. (Full Story)

December 22, 2009 - New Health Care Workers On The Job - The Annapolis Valley's has 16 new continuing care assistants through the province's One Journey program, which addresses the shortage of skilled workers in some sectors of the economy. The 10-month training was delivered and co-ordinated by PeopleWorx, a not-for-profit organization based in Kentville, that works with clients, employers and other community partners to overcome employment obstacles across the Annapolis Valley. (Full Story)

December 15, 2009 - Maximum Assessable/Insurable Earnings set for 2010 - On January 1, 2010, the maximum assessable / insurable earnings will increase from $49,400 to $50,800. This figure is used by the Board to determine the maximum benefit payable to injured workers in 2010, and also represents the maximum assessable earnings per worker to be reported by employers on 2010 payrolls. 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:

January 20, 2010 - Helping People Find Work - Employment Ontario is beginning changes that will allow Ontarians to find the employment and training programs they need in one location. Over the next six months, changes will result in: better service for Ontarians, shorter wait times and faster and more efficient access to career training. Under the current system, someone seeking assistance with resume writing, career counseling and a job search could have to visit three separate locations to access these services. By August, 2010, all Employment Ontario offices will offer a one-stop approach to training and employment services - eliminating the need for visits to separate locations. (Full Story)

December 22, 2009 - Stronger Protection For Workers - Ontario is strengthening worker protection by updating occupational exposure limits (OELS) for 36 hazardous chemical substances such as polyvinyl chloride and ethanol. OELs restrict workers' exposure to hazardous biological and chemical substances on the job such as those used in manufacturing and repair operations. The changes follow consultations in 2008 and 2009 with stakeholders, including with employer and worker groups. The Ministry of Labour is committed to reviewing and updating OELs on a regular basis. (Full Story)

December 17, 2009 - WSIB Announces New Board Member Appointment - WSIB today announced the appointment of Estelle Marie Caines as the newest member of the WSIB's Board of Directors. Ms. Caines was an injured worker who has been through the WSIB's system herself, and brings a unique perspective to the Board and the WSIB as an organization, understanding first-hand the needs and concerns of injured workers. Her extensive community involvement is also highly valued. (Full Story - PDF)

December 15, 2009 - New Rules For Stilts And Guardrails At Construction Sites - Ontario is improving efficiency and competitiveness in the construction industry by allowing the limited use of stilts while ensuring that workers are protected from injury. The province is amending the Construction Regulation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to allow stilts to be used in residential construction beginning January 1, 2010. Stilts will be permitted for use by workers installing insulation and vapour barriers and finishing drywall. Workers may use stilts only after they have completed special training and only with specific safety measures in place. (Full Story)

Prince Edward Island:

January, 2010 - Customer Liaison Service - The Workers Compensation Board of PEI offers a customer liaison service, a formal way for employees to log complaints about the quality of service offered by WCB. A Customer Liaison Officer, within WCB, is responsible for receiving customer service complaints and will record information on all quality service issues, transfer this information to the appropriate staff person, and ensure that WCB has responded to each complaint received. (Full Story)

Saskatchewan:

January 7, 2010 - Saskjobs Web Site Visits Break 2008 Record By Over 60 Per Cent - Saskatchewan employers and job seekers fuelled record-breaking activity on the province's job-matching website, SaskJobs.ca. More than 6.9 million visitors browsed 102,000 job opportunities posted to the site in 2009 - an increase of more than 60 per cent over the 2008 total of 4.3 million visits. Of the 6.9 million visits to SaskJobs: 5.5 million came from inside Saskatchewan with 1.2 million coming from other Canadian provinces and territories. (Full Story)

December 23, 2009 - 2010 Maximum Insurable Earnings - The Workers' Compensation Act, 1979 sets out the maximum insurable earnings (also called maximum wage rate) for the WCB. It has been $55,000 per year since January 1, 2005. This amount will only change if the Act is amended. (Full Story)

December 22, 2009 - Saskatchewan Workers Earning More Than Ever Before - For the second consecutive month, weekly earnings in Saskatchewan have reached an all-time high. Saskatchewan's average weekly earnings for October 2009 were $815.22, a year over year increase of 2.6 per cent. The national average increase in weekly earnings was 1.6 per cent. Saskatchewan ranks third highest in average weekly earnings among all provinces, behind only Alberta ($953.69) and Ontario ($857.05). (Full Story)

December 21, 2009 - Prosecutions Protect The Rights Of Saskatchewan Workers - Eleven employers have been prosecuted for violations of The Labour Standards Act and Regulations in 2009. Between April 1, 2009 and November 30, 2009, Labour Standards has completed 1,431 investigations, issued 42 certificates for a value of $165,691, referred 16 files to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution, successfully completed 11 prosecution files resulting in convictions and fines (to date, each file referred to Justice has resulted in a conviction). (Full Story)

December 11, 2009 - WCB Releases Fall 2009 Compensation Reporter - This issue of WCB's corporate newsletter includes articles about WCB 2010 Employer Rates; Mission: Zero and the health care sector; SaskPower and the development of their safety culture; and more. (Full Story)

Yukon:

January 6, 2010 - Youth starting new year with new jobs - Advanced Education has helped create 18 new jobs for Whitehorse youth in a pilot job experience program, Education Minister Patrick Rouble announced today. Advanced Education branch will deliver the Youth Employment Program, in which employers will receive a wage subsidy of up to 90 per cent, to a maximum of $12 per hour, to offer workplace training for youth between 18 and 25 years of age. A total of 13 employers will receive support. (Full Story)

The current release of GrandMaster Suite (6.01) 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:

• Web installer modified to clarify the install process - This release includes a change to the Web installer program to clarify the install process. There were some who were confused with the initial welcome screen and would opt for the "Cancel" button instead of clicking on the "Finish" button to allow the installer to finish the installation process. With this release the Web installer has been modified to include a clearer message on the welcome screen so that the user knows what to do to continue with the install.
• Adjustments to CPP/QPP are not creating the benefit transaction for the journal entry - After adjusting an employee's CPP/QPP deduction or YTD deduction the benefit portion generated was not present in the Journal Entry report. This was due to the calculation process not creating the appropriate benefit transaction that is necessary for the journal entry. This has been corrected and included in this release.
• Email pay statement log file will not open when associated with Word 2007 - A change by Microsoft to the Word 2007 and beyond software resulted in the email pay statement log file not being able to be viewed using Word. This was related to a Microsoft security fix that affected to the converter program mswrd632. While the fix they suggest works for most there are still some users that indicate that the Microsoft fix still does not allow them to view this file. Therefore, we have made a change to the program to write this log file as a .txt file instead of a .doc file.
• The T4/T4A Data Report doesn't show employee data when birth date is missing - A recent change to the T4/T4A Data Report to provide a CPP/QPP "Should be" message required that the employee have a birth date present. In some cases, users had employees without a birth date and while there was a year end record for the employee the T4/T4A Data Report would not show year end data. This has been corrected with this release.
• New employees missing from Customized Payroll Report - Prior to this release if you defined a report in Customized Payroll Reports that was only reporting employee miscellaneous data and you did not request pay history, new employees were not included in the report. This was related to logic in the program that would bypass employees who did not have pay history for the date range selected. With this release a change has been made that addresses this issue.
• January 2010 Federal tax changes - The January 2010 Federal tax changes, included in this release, are based on the "Payroll Deductions Formulas for Computer Programs - T4127(E) Rev. 10" document released by the CRA on December 15, 2009. Additionally, employees who have personal exemption amounts that are greater than the federal or provincial base amount for 2010 will need to resubmit personal exemption forms and have these new amounts updated in Payroll Specific Information prior to running a 2010 pay to take advantage of the tax savings based on the new exemption.
• Pay Period EI Override added allowing you to override the number of EI weeks - With this release we have added a new option to an employee's Payroll Specific Information to allow you to override the normal number of weeks used to calculate a pay. For example, if your pay frequency is bi-weekly the number of EI weeks per pay would be 2 weeks. However, if you have an occasion where an employee's pay for the current period should be spread over 3 weeks you may now change the EI Weeks override field to reflect this and when calculating the EI and tax amounts will be based on the 3 week period instead of the regular 2 weeks. This change will modify the pay frequency value for the employee when calculating the pay. When you close your pay period the original weeks setting will be restored.
• Skip when no Values option enhanced in Import Pay Adjustments - When importing pay overrides using the Import Pay Adjustments option records with no value were being imported even when the "Skip when no Values" option was selected. With this release we have made a change that would ensure that any records without hours or amounts will be bypassed during the import process. The prior logic would only bypass zero value records when the import option was a pay adjustment instead of an pay override.
  

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

Find Out If It Is Right For You And Your Employer
Are you well suited for Telecommuting or Teleworking?

If you have any kind of lengthy drive to work or are just getting fed up and stressed out by all the traffic, I'll bet the sharply increasing cost of gasoline has you pulling your hair out. On the other hand, you might also be experiencing other work-life balance issues, such managing all the family demands for children's summer activities, vacation scheduling or elder-care obligations. All of this leads to big-time stress.

It may also leave you thinking that maybe telecommuting is the answer. After all, many companies and organizations are concerned about fast-rising gas prices too, so maybe telecommuting could provide an opportunity to reduce costs for both you and your employer.

But the question is whether you would be well suited for telecommuting or teleworking.

Working from home involves a lot more than just having a laptop, a telephone and a desk. According to Susan Randall, a veteran teleworker for the past four years, teleworking requires a certain personality and a good deal of self-management. You need to be self-confident and self-motivated, without fear of fear being left out of things or feeling isolated. And, you must be good at setting and sticking to goals as well as being good at project and time management because you are essentially on your own.

The latest research shows that over 60 million Americans are already working from home. And with the gas-price increases, the number of telecommuters in Canada is expected to climb as well. But the point is whether you or your job are suited to such a work arrangement and whether your employer can effectively support a working-from-home arrangement.

But let's concentrate on you, the worker. Are you really suited to a telework/telecommuting work arrangement? The following thought-provoking questions will help you assess the potential of your success as a teleworker.

1. Will your job permit telework? If your job requires face-to-face customer service in situations where the customer/client comes to you, then it's definitely not suited to telework. You have to be in attendance. However, if your job is related to producing and working with information, then the chances are far greater. Typically, good telework jobs are more frequently found in banks, insurance agencies, high-tech companies, legal, architectural, accounting and service firms.

2. Do you have the right tools for the job? There's nothing more frustrating than not being able to access the company hard-drive and/or having your computer crash in the middle of preparing a report. Starting over is no fun, so make sure your home computer is compatible and has the power to match your work requirements. Don't expect your employer to provide all the equipment, especially if you work for a smaller firm.

3. Do you have a self-contained home workspace? Setting up the laptop on the kitchen table and clearing it away for meal times just won't work. You need to have home office space that will allow you the privacy needed to complete your work. Keep in mind you will have confidential materials nearby that must be protected.

4. Is your workspace free of interruptions? Working at home is just that, work. If you have young children at home, a retired spouse who is excited about your being home, an elderly parent who needs attention, or a hobby that begs for your time, it'll be difficult to get your work done. If you aren't careful, you'll end up making promises you can't keep and/or you'll be working late into the night trying to complete an assignment, more exhausted than if you had gone into your workplace.

5. Is your personality suited to working alone? While working from home sounds nice, it can also be very isolating. After all, you are working by yourself, with no daily face-to-face communication. Over time, the lack of interpersonal communication can be detrimental to your motivation, especially if you are an extroverted person who gets their energy from other people.

Please return next issue for the conclusion of this article!

Courtesy of Barbara Bowes