Reduce Termination Litigation in Three Easy Steps:

Payroll Compliance Tools and Seminars from the Canadian Payroll Association

TORONTO, May 9, 2014 /CNW/ - Canadian businesses and organizations could be doing more to reduce their litigation risk related to terminations of employment, says the Canadian Payroll Association. Legislation related to payroll and terminations is extensive, but there are three basic payroll-related steps every organization should take to reduce the likelihood that a terminated employee will turn to litigation.

1) Have a Termination Policy

Organizations can protect themselves and help the terminations process go smoothly by developing a clear Termination Policy. It should be included with all offer of employment letters. Even better, organizations should adopt current best practices and create a termination policy document that is accessible to employees at any time.

An informal poll conducted at a Canadian Payroll Association webinar last year found that one-quarter of the 160 organizations questioned do not have a termination policy in place. This is a significant gap in safeguarding against termination challenges and one that would be relatively easy for organizations to close.

2) Develop a Terminations Checklist

One of the key steps in ensuring employers can confidently rely on their payroll practices to help minimize the likelihood of litigation is to lay the groundwork for the termination process. A termination checklist is one of the simplest tools for helping the organization implement a standard process.

Developing a checklist that includes necessary steps and timeframes reduces the likelihood that steps will be delayed, missed or handled inappropriately. The Canadian Payroll Association provides a Terminations Checklist, which the public can access at no cost under Resources at payroll.ca.

3) Ensure the Record of Employment (ROE) is accurate

The ROE form must be filed accurately and on time. Resources are at your disposal such as The Canadian Payroll Association's members-only Payroll InfoLine. There are numerous scenarios that add to the complexity of completing this form accurately, so building your compliance knowledge saves time in the long run and helps protect your organization.

Paper ROEs must be filed within five calendar days from the interruption of earnings, causing administrative and financial burden for employers. Today, employers can also choose to file the ROE electronically, within five calendar days after the end of the pay period. Filing ROEs electronically is a best practice, reducing employer costs, improving the accuracy of the data and speeding up EI claims for recipients. This was the result of a successful Canadian Payroll Association advocacy campaign in 2009 which has saved employers millions of dollars in red tape and administration costs while improving ROE and terminations administration for employers, the government and employees.

Those wanting more detailed information for successfully administering, supervising and processing terminations can enroll in the Association's popular one-day Professional Development Seminar — Terminations. Also available is a dedicated seminar to assist with the specific issues around Special Payments and Completing the ROE.

All Professional Development Seminars are not just for members but for non-members as well. For dates and locations, and to learn about all Professional Development Seminars, visit payroll.ca.

About the Canadian Payroll Association:
The Canadian Payroll Association is the authoritative source for Canadian payroll knowledge, providing compliance services, professional development, advocacy and professional certification. Since 1978, the Association has influenced the payroll compliance practices and processes of hundreds of thousands of employers. Payroll professionals in 1.5 million organizations across Canada are responsible for ensuring the timely and accurate payment of $860 billion in wages and taxable benefits, $268 billion in statutory remittances to the federal and provincial governments and $94 billion in health and retirement benefits, while complying with more than 190 regulatory requirements. For more information on the Canadian Payroll Association's Professional Development Seminars, Certification Programs, and the Benefits of Membership visit payroll.ca.

Image with caption: "Canadian businesses and organizations could do more to reduce litigation risks related to terminations of employment, says the Canadian Payroll Association, the authoritative source for Canadian payroll knowledge, providing compliance services, professional development, advocacy and professional certification. Enroll in a Professional Development Seminar on Terminations today. (CNW Group/Canadian Payroll Association)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140509_C7480_PHOTO_EN_40142.jpg

SOURCE: Canadian Payroll Association

Hélène Robitaille, Communications Coordinator, [email protected] [phone] x 139