Payroll Reporter
Can
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Can
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adian adian a
www.payroll-reporter.com
January 2018
Phoenix issues will cost millions to fi x
Audit places majority of blame
on government department
BY SHEILA BRAWN
A YEAR and a half after the federal government
launched its Phoenix pay system, more than 150,000
civil servants paid through its pay centre had out-
standing pay issues amounting to half a billion dol-
lars, a new report finds.
It stems from an audit of the troubled Phoenix pay
system that Canada's auditor general Michael Fergu-
son carried out last year.
The report places most of the responsibility for
the problems on Public Services and Procurement
Canada (PSPC), the department responsible for ad-
ministering the government's payroll.
"PSPC did not identify and resolve pay problems
in a sustainable way to ensure that public service
employees consistently receive their correct pay, on
time," it said. "Departments and agencies contribut-
ed to the problems; however, PSPC did not provide
them with all the information and support to allow
see ROUNDUP page 7
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Legislative Roundup
Changes in payroll laws and regulations
from across Canada
see REGULATORY page 6
Credit:
Chris
Wattie
(Reuters)
What's new for 2018?
From statutory deductions to health levies,
a new year brings changes for payroll
BY SHEILA BRAWN
STAYING ON top of the myriad of payroll-related changes at this
time of year can be a challenge. To make it a little easier, here is a
rundown of some rate and rule changes for 2018 that payroll profes-
sionals should implement if they have not already done so:
Federal updates
CPP:
• Maximum pensionable earnings: $55,900
• Employer and employee contribution rate: 4.95 per cent
• Annual basic exemption: $3,500
• Maximum annual employer, employee contribution: $2,593.80.
Canada
Government implements
EI and CLC amendments
On Dec. 3, 2017, the federal government implemented changes to
the Employment Insurance Act that give eligible employees more
options for claiming benefits related to parenting and caring for
family members. It also enacted related amendments to the Canada
Labour Code (CLC).
The amendments were included in Bill C-44, the Budget Imple-
mentation Act 2017, No. 1, which received royal assent on June 22.
The EI changes give eligible claimants the option of receiving
parental benefits for 35 weeks over 12 months at a benefit rate of
see UNDERLYING page 2
News in Brief pg. 4
CRA call centres not always accurate |
Quebec reduces lowest tax rate | Paper calls
for changes to executive compensation |
Average weekly earnings up in September
Ask an Expert pg. 5
Canadian statutory holidays
for 2018| Updated workers'
compensation maximums
by jurisdiction
New rules pg. 3
New year brings
changes to employment
standards in Alberta,
Ontario
Auditor general Michael Ferguson speaks during a news conference in Ottawa, Nov. 21, 2017.
