Selectpath - The RIGHT Path For Employers

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In This Issue...

›	Leaving Canada for an extended trip?
›	Canada: Termination Of Employment Of Employees On LTD In The Context Of A Plant Closure
›	Dream Retirement Out Of Reach
›	Cause… The Right Policies Can Do Wonders!
›	Drug Testing Law May Evolve
›	Taking the pulse of health spending program; 'Bank account' product garnering attention

›	Managing Change
›	Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 lives in some people for at least eight days after symptoms develop
›	Ontario Legislation Countering Distracted Driving and Promoting Green Transportation Act, 2009
›	Three-tiered Prescription Pricing In Ontario
›	National Catastrophic Drug Plan Needed
›	Employee Benefit Cost Biggest Concern
›	DC Plans Getting Simpler

Our Advisors

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
TEAM

John D. Harkins
Employee Benefits & Pensions
Partner

Gordon R. Hart
Employee Benefits & Pensions
Partner

Kevin L. Routley
Employee Benefits & Pensions
Partner

Leanne Bayley
Employee Benefits Consultant

J. Wayne Koch
Employee Benefits & Pensions Specialist

Carson J. Oudman
Employee Benefits Consultant

About Us

Leaving Canada for an extended trip?
Gordon R. Hart, GBA, REBC, RHU, RPA

Make sure you have the proper medical coverage while you travel. Emergency medical travel insurance requires that your provincial medical insurance is in force. The Canadian travel insurance companies require enforce provincial health insurance to ensure that they can limit losses in the case of major medical claims.

Canada: Termination Of Employment Of Employees On LTD In The Context Of A Plant Closure
Christopher McHardy

In the recent case of USWA v. Weyerhaeuser, the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal decided that the company had discriminated against four employees on long-term disability (LTD) when it terminated their employment just months before announcing the permanent shutdown of their place of employment.

What Happened?

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Dream Retirement Out Of Reach
Christopher McHardy

Three-quarters of Canadians think that the retirement of their dreams is out of reach, says an RBC poll. It does show, however, that nine out of 10 say they will have enough retirement income to cover their basic needs. The survey also found that 75 per cent of retired Canadians did not know how much they spent in their first year of retirement. Those who did know said they spent about $35,000, down from $51,000 in the 2008 survey. Almost half of Canadians who have not yet retired were worried about having enough savings, while 29 per cent of retirees had the same concern.

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Cause… The Right Policies Can Do Wonders!
Patrizia Piccolo

Given that employment is considered to be one of the most fundamental aspects of an individual’s life, it is no surprise that courts and tribunals have been reluctant to uphold an employer’s decision to terminate an employee for just cause. The implication of being dismissed for just cause is that the dismissed employee does not receive employment insurance benefits or reasonable notice or payment in lieu of termination and, as such, the employee loses the means of financial support.

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Drug Testing Law May Evolve

It will be interesting to see how the law will evolve with the update of the Canadian Human Rights Commission ‘Policy on Alcohol and Drug Testing’ and the continual development of methods of drug testing, says Fasken Martineau’s ‘The HR Space.’ It says in the event that technology progresses and drug impairment can be detected on the day of testing, random drug testing could be permitted for many safety-sensitive positions. The Supreme Court of Canada has yet to weigh in on the issue of drug and alcohol testing in the workplace. However, with the potentially contradictory lines of argument developing, it may be time. Currently, drug and alcohol addiction are considered disabilities. As such, individuals who suffer from such addictions are protected from discrimination under human rights legislation. Drug and alcohol testing is, therefore, limited essentially to situations where there is reasonable cause to suspect impairment while at work.

Taking the pulse of health spending program; 'Bank account' product garnering attention
RITA TRICHUR, Toronto Star

Health spending accounts are expected to become increasingly popular as companies and self-employed Canadians sharpen their focus on cost controls during the economic recovery, experts say. Described by some as a "bank account" for health and dental benefits, the product is garnering attention at a time when employers of all sizes are bearing rising costs for those services. Still, they are not without controversy. Labour unions argue that health spending accounts can lead to "the erosion" of benefits depending on how they are used.