Spring is here - an excellent time of the year to do some housekeeping and get things in order. We would hazard to guess that group benefits do not come to the top of mind when thinking about "housekeeping"!  But like many other things in our lives, they actually do require at least an annual check-up - and sometimes even a tune-up. It has been an odd beginning of the year for us, as we have helped facilitate two separate death claims for two different clients. In both cases, the individuals who passed away were fairly…

  Our last post defined discrimination at work, and outlined an employer's responsibilities to ensure discrimination is not endemic in their environment. Workplace discrimination is an issue that must be thoughtfully and carefully considered, as it can be highly sensitive for those involved. For example, when an employee goes on disability claim, the employer must be vigilant in ensuring they have demonstrated a willingness to work with their employee during their period of disability. We have often been asked by clients who have employees on disability what their rights are, and at what point would it be appropriate…

In business, and in our everyday lives, we are no doubt aware that people are to be treated equally. We cannot discriminate based on race, age, and other factors. Ironically, there are times that people are treated differently in order to have equal rights and to prevent and/or reduce cases of discrimination. As an employer or service provider, you have an obligation to eliminate negative treatment of individuals/groups based on prohibited grounds of discrimination. This is called your duty to accommodate, and it applies both to your employees and the public you serve. The duty to accommodate may require that…

It's that time of year again when T4’s need to be calculated and issued for employees.  Most employers use software programs which will automatically calculate the taxable benefits.  This works well on the assumption that the software has been set up correctly. Many Insurers also offer a report showing the calculated amount for employees' taxable benefits for Life and AD&D, and Critical Illness Insurance; these calculations are based on the actual premiums paid by the Employer as shown on the Insurer’s records. However, the accuracy of an Insurer's reporting relies on whether or not the Employer/Employee premium split is correctly…

The holidays have passed - now what? Did you survive the holidays? Hopefully through the din of it all you had a chance to eat, drink and be merry. Christmas and the holiday season can sometimes feel more stressful than divorce or being burgled!  For many, December becomes a mass of complex social interactions with family or relatives (some of whom you may rather not see!)  There are perceived expectations to create a ‘memorable Christmas’ so we tend to get caught in a hubbub of activity with shopping for presents and hosting one of the most anticipated meals of the year. Another significant…