Quebec introduces parental leave payroll levy; Tuition increases slow down; Let’s pay more attention to Mexico; We don’t need name tags; Relocating your junk
Quebec introduces parental leave payroll levy
Quebec City — Refusing to call it a tax, the Quebec government is imposing a payroll levy to cover the costs of parental leave benefits. Effective Jan. 1, employers will pay up to $325 per employee to cover the benefit, and workers will pay up to $239. The plan coincides with a reduction in Employment Insurance premiums that would have been charged had Quebec participated in the federal government’s parental leave plan. Quebec’s plan will cost about $1-billion, $298 million more than the EI reduction, leaving employers paying about $30 to $150 more per year per employee.
Tuition increases slow down
Ottawa — University tuition will go up an average of 1.8 per cent across Canada. While that’s the smallest increase in 10 years, it may be of little comfort to undergraduate students who have seen average tuition triple in a decade from $1,464 in 1990-91 to $4,214 for the academic year now underway.
Let’s pay more attention to Mexico
Toronto — Canada and Mexico need to get closer, a C.D. Howe Institute report recommends. Despite being partners in the North American Free Trade Agreement, the two nations need to pay more attention to each other in areas such as trade and labour mobility, the report states.
We don’t need name tags
Toronto — Toronto police will soon be wearing name tags in a bid to increase officer accountability and transparency with the public. A review of the police complaints system made the recommendation earlier this year. Police union officials are against the name tags, citing safety concerns that the tags will make it easy for criminals to gather personal information about officers and their families.
Relocating your junk
East Greenwich, R.I. — Preparing for an international assignment can leave expats with a lot of furniture, clothing and household clutter to ship or store. U.S.-based relocation firm Aspen International Group has come up with a solution. The company offers the services of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, which will haul away and trash or recycle household items for relocating staff.
Quebec City — Refusing to call it a tax, the Quebec government is imposing a payroll levy to cover the costs of parental leave benefits. Effective Jan. 1, employers will pay up to $325 per employee to cover the benefit, and workers will pay up to $239. The plan coincides with a reduction in Employment Insurance premiums that would have been charged had Quebec participated in the federal government’s parental leave plan. Quebec’s plan will cost about $1-billion, $298 million more than the EI reduction, leaving employers paying about $30 to $150 more per year per employee.
Tuition increases slow down
Ottawa — University tuition will go up an average of 1.8 per cent across Canada. While that’s the smallest increase in 10 years, it may be of little comfort to undergraduate students who have seen average tuition triple in a decade from $1,464 in 1990-91 to $4,214 for the academic year now underway.
Let’s pay more attention to Mexico
Toronto — Canada and Mexico need to get closer, a C.D. Howe Institute report recommends. Despite being partners in the North American Free Trade Agreement, the two nations need to pay more attention to each other in areas such as trade and labour mobility, the report states.
We don’t need name tags
Toronto — Toronto police will soon be wearing name tags in a bid to increase officer accountability and transparency with the public. A review of the police complaints system made the recommendation earlier this year. Police union officials are against the name tags, citing safety concerns that the tags will make it easy for criminals to gather personal information about officers and their families.
Relocating your junk
East Greenwich, R.I. — Preparing for an international assignment can leave expats with a lot of furniture, clothing and household clutter to ship or store. U.S.-based relocation firm Aspen International Group has come up with a solution. The company offers the services of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, which will haul away and trash or recycle household items for relocating staff.
