Canada Pension Plan
A contributory, earnings-related social insurance program that is paid by the federal government. It provides a measure of income to contributors and their families upon retirement, disability, and death. For further details, contact Service Canada.
WTW case management system within eePoint.
WTW secure website used to send/receive reports and other confidential member-related data. For more information, refer to Pension Administration System (eepoint) and Data Exchange Tools.
WTW Pension Administration System. For more information, refer to Pension Administration System (eepoint) and Data Exchange Tools.
Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario
An independent regulatory agency whose role is to ensure pension plans meet the legal standard in the Pension Benefits Act (PBA). Their objective is to improve consumer and pension plan beneficiary protections in Ontario.
Income Tax Act
A federally legislated act with underlying regulations that outline, among other things, the maximum limits for registered pension plans. The Income Tax Act allows employees and employers to deduct pension contributions from their respective income for tax purposes and sets standards for the benefits a pension plan can provide. It is regulated by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
Data files that contain employee/member data required to administer pension benefits that are sent bi-weekly from each participating employer to WTW via:
- I1 Data File – transmits Demographic & HR/Employment data on a bi-weekly I1 schedule
- I2 Data File – transmits Contribution & Payroll data on a bi-weekly I2 schedule
Refer to Reporting Data through the I1 & I2 Data Interfaces for more information
Jointly Sponsored Pension Plan
A pension plan in which decision making and funding of the benefits is shared jointly by both employees and the sponsor/employer. It’s a pension plan where there is a partnership in the governance of the plan. The Plan is a JSPP
Self-service website for active, deferred and retired members to access pension-related information and transactions.
Ontario Compensation Employees Union, CUPE Local 1750
- Co-Sponsor of the Plan (with WSIB)
Pension Adjustment
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) deemed value of the lifetime pension benefit earned by a member during a calendar year which affects the member’s RRSP contribution room for the following year. Refer to Annual Pension Adjustment Report (I7) for more information.
Participating Employers of the Plan include:
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA), Public Services Health and Safety Association (PSHSA), Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (WSPS), Workplace Safety North (WSN), and the Trustees of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Pension Plan Fund (WISE Trust).
Pension Benefits Act (Ontario)
Provincial pension legislation enforced by FSRA, which regulates pension plans in Ontario and determines minimum standards for eligibility, funding, and benefits for Ontario-registered pension plans.
The base salary received by an employee for their employment position while a member of the Plan.
Refer to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for specific Pensionable Earnings inclusion and exclusions.
Note: Contributions must be deducted from Pensionable Earnings in accordance with the Contribution Rate Schedule.
Represents the total years, months and days of service during which the employee, or the employer on behalf of the employee, contributes to the Plan or Supplementary Plan and can include service during which an employee is receiving short-term, or long-term disability benefits, or while in receipt of benefits from a claim filed under the WSIA (WSIB claim benefit).
Note: Pensionable Service is derived from member employment statuses provided by Participating Employers via the I1 Data File and required contributions amounts deducted and provided via the I2 Data File.
Pensionable service can also be purchased by members for periods of temporary employment and certain leaves of absences, or transferred in by members from another pension plan.
Secure File Transfer Protocol
- Transmission method by which I1 and I2 Data Files are sent from Participating Employers to WTW.
Safe Workplace Associations
Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (IHSA)
Public Services Health & Safety Association (PSHSA)
Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS)
Workplace Safety North (WSN)
WSIB Employees’ Supplementary Pension Plan (ESPP)
- A “top-up” retirement compensation arrangement that provides employees of the WSIB and SWA a pension benefit in excess of the maximum pension benefit permitted under the Plan and the ITA; the Plan and the Supplementary Plan (the “plans”) operate together to provide the same retirement benefit that the employee would have received if the ITA limits did not exist.
- Sponsored and administered solely by WSIB.
- Refer to Supplementary Plan for more information.
WSIB Employees’ Pension Plan (often referred to as the “WISE Trust Plan” or the “EPP”)
- A contributory defined-benefit pension plan registered and regulated under the Ontario Pension Benefits Act (“PBA”) and the federal Income Tax Act (“ITA”).
- Jointly sponsored by the WSIB and OCEU and administered by WISE Trust.
- Refer to the Plan for more information.
Workplace Safety & Insurance Board
- Co-Sponsor (with OCEU) and Participating Employer of the Plan.
- Sponsor and administrator of the Supplementary Plan.
Workplace Insurance and Safety Employee Trust
- The Trustees of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Employees’ Pension Plan (Board of Trustees).
- Legal Administrator of the Plan.
Pension contact centre for employees and members of the Plan and Supplementary Plan:
By Phone:
Call toll free: 1-855-242-1526
Outside of North America: 678-932-4144
Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST
By mail:
130 King Street West
Suite 1500, P.O. Box 424
Toronto, ON M5X 1E3
Online via My Pension Resource:
Willis Towers Watson
- Pension Administration Service Provider for the Plan and the Supplementary Plan.
- Refer to Pension Administration Service Provider for the Pension Plans for more information.
Employer frequently asked questions
- Eligibility to join the Plan
- Temporary Employee Enrollment
- Temporary Employee contract extension or renewal
- Transition from Temporary contract to Permanent Employment
- Temporary employment service
- New hire with prior employment with another Participating Employer
- Re-employment
- Employees living outside of Ontario
Reporting Data via the I1 & I2 Data Interfaces and Data Validation Reports
New HR/Payroll system codes
Does creating a new code (e.g., action reason or earnings code) in our HR/Payroll system have a pension impact? Do do I need to notify the pensions team?
Yes, contact WISE Trust immediately before implementing the new code into your HR/Payroll system. We will engage the WTW Admin Team in the work required to map your new code into the eePoint pension administration system.
Failure to notify us in advance could result in re-work that may be subject to out-of-scope WTW fees that will be passed on to the Participating Employer implementing the code without providing advance notice to WISE Trust/WTW Admin Teams.
For a list of existing codes that currently transmit on the I1 or I2 data interface files, refer to Data Interface Requirements.
Reporting Leaves of Absence including STD and LTD
Does the type of leave of absence code entered in our HR/Paryoll system have a pension impact?
- a member’s eligibility to purchase (or “buyback”) the period of service during the leave and
- the cost to make that purchase.
Off-cycle or special pay processing
We need to process an off-cycle or special pay run, do I need to notify the pensions team?
Yes, notify WTW and WISE Trust via email immediately, before you process the pay AND upon confirmation that the data file has been sent by providing the day, time, and file name.
Late transmission of I1& I2 data files
Why are Participating Employers charged “late fees” for submitting I1 or I2 data files after the deadline?
All I1 and I2 files from each of our six (6) Participating Employers are processed at the same time – a late data interface file submission will result in re-work to process the late file separately from the other Participating Employer’s files.
The resulting re-work is out-of-scope and the associated charge will be passed on to the Participating Employer who submitted the late data interface file after the deadline specified in the Annual WTW Consolidated Calendar (Interface Response Deadline).
Successful transmission of I1 & I2 data files
How do I know if the I1 or I2 bi-weekly data interface file was successfully transmitted to WTW?
For SWA employers who use ADP, you must monitor the transmission schedule to ensure you receive a “successful transmission” email.
In addition, 24 hours before the I1 file transmission due date to WTW as per the Annual WTW Consolidated Calendar (Interface Run Schedule), SWA employers receive an “ADP Interface Exception Report” that must be reviewed and actioned accordingly. For details, refer to the training documentation provided by ADP.
For all other employers, refer to your internal monitoring processes.
I1 and I2 Data Validation Reports
What do I do with the I1 & I2 Data Validation Reports? Do they confirm data submitted on the I1 or I2 bi-weekly data interface files got uploaded to eePoint correctly?
Once the I1 or I2 data file has been uploaded to eePoint, each employer will receive Data Validation Reports via DataLink within a few days of your data file submission. You must review, take action as required, and respond within five (5) business days.
Data in your HR/Payroll system must be in sync with the pension system data – delays in your review can have serious pension implications.
- For instruction and training on what you need to review and/or action as it relates to the I1 Validation Reports you receive, refer to I1 Data Validation Reports
- For instruction and training on what you need to review and/or action as it relates to the I2 Validation Reports you receive, refer to I2 Data Validation Reports
You should also access eePoint to view and verify the employees’ data records as needed.
I1 and I2 Data Validation Reports
The New Hire Report and Contribution Discrepancy Report received from WTW indicates one of our new employees worked for another participating employer - what do I need to do?
If your new employee is being hired immediately within one business day following the termination date with their prior Participating Employer, the employee’s record will be flagged on the New Hire and/or Contribution Discrepancy Report – you must contact WISE Trust for assistance.
In this case, there is no break in service under the Plan (eligibility service, pension contributions, and pensionable service continue) and you may be required to include the Year-to-Date (YTD) Pensionable Earnings from the prior Participating Employer to ensure the correct contribution rate is used to calculate employee pension contributions correctly. Refer to section Enrolling a Member with a Prior Period of Employment with another Participating Employer for additional information.
Spousal and Beneficiary Data for pensions
A member has a change in spousal and/or beneficiary information - how does this get updated in the pension system?
The spousal and beneficiary information for pension is separate (and can differ) from spousal and beneficiary information for other benefits. Members must complete a separate form for pension purposes (note, this information in not passed on the I1).
Members can find the Spousal Declaration and Beneficiary Designation Form for pension benefits on My Pension Resource.
Remind members that they are required to update the WISE Trust Pension Contact Centre by downloading and mailing in a completed Spousal Declaration and Beneficiary Designation Form.
Eligibility, Enrollment, and Re-employment
Eligibility to join the Plan
When are employees eligible to join the Plan?
- For Permanent Employees (employed on a full-time or part-time basis), enrolment in the Plan is mandatory upon date of hire
- contributions are mandatory from the date of hire, the day plan membership starts
- For Temporary Employees (employed on a full-time or part-time temporary basis), membership in the Plan is optional after the completion of 24 months of continuous employment
- The WTW Admin Team will monitor a Temporary Employee’s eligibility to join the Plan – six (6) months prior to the date of eligibility (24 months of continuous employment), the WTW Admin Team will send an “Enrolment Option Form” to the temporary employee
- If the temporary employee elects to join the Plan, they will appear on the New Eligibility Report (E02) which is sent to the employer to update their system with the plan membership date as indicated on the report and start the contributions as of that date
Temporary Employee Enrollment
What do I need to do to enrol Temporary Employees in the Plan when they become eligible?
An election option form is sent out by WTW to Temporary Employees approximately 3-6 months in advance of the Temporary Employee’s eligibility date (24 months of continuous service).
If the Temporary Employee elects to join the Plan, the employer will receive a New Eligibility Report (R02) from WTW which instructs the employer to update their system with the plan membership date provided on the R02 report and start the contributions as of that date.
Completed election forms are attached to the member’s records in eePoint.
Temporary Employee contract extension or renewal
What are the pension impacts when rehiring, extending or renewing a Temporary Employee's contract?
If a Temporary Employee is being rehired within 15 business days of the expiration of the Temporary Employee’s prior contract or the contract is being extended or renewed, advise WISE Trust and the WTW Admin Team.
Under the Plan, a Temporary Employee who is re-hired within 15 business days of the expiration of the Temporary Employee’s prior contract is deemed to have Continuous Employment for eligibility purposes under the Plan, and upon becoming a member, may purchase the period of service during which the member was a Temporary Employee and was not enrolled in the Plan.
Transition from Temporary contract to Permanent Employment
We just hired a Temporary Employee as Permanent - can we "backdate" the permanent employee's plan membership date to their temporary contract start date?
Temporary employment service
Can an employee purchase their period of temporary employment service?
Yes, once an employee becomes a member of the Plan, they may purchase temporary periods of employment.
Refer employees to wisetrust.ca or to the WISE Trust Pension Contact Centre for details about purchasing temporary service and other eligible “purchase types” such as periods of unpaid leaves of absence. Purchase quotes can be requested on-line through My Pension Resource.
New hire with prior employment with another Participating Employer
We just hired a new employee who was recently employed by another Participating Employer - is there any pension impacts?
If your new employee is being hired immediately within one business day following the termination date with their prior Participating Employer, contact WISE Trust and WTW Admin as soon as possible.
In this case, there is no break in service under the Plan (eligibility service, pension contributions, and pensionable service continue) and you may be required to include the Year-to-Date (YTD) Pensionable Earnings from the prior Participating Employer to ensure the correct contribution rate is used to calculate employee pension contributions correctly.
Refer to Enrolling a Member with a Prior Period of Employment with another Participating Employer for additional information.
Re-employment
We are hiring a retired employee who is receiving a pension from the Plan - what do I need to do?
If the retired member is re-employed as a Permanent employee, contact WISE Trust immediately as the pension must be suspended upon enrollment in the Plan
- WISE Trust will advise the WTW Admin Team and our Pension Payment Service Provider to suspend pension payments
If a retired member is re-employed as a Temporary employee, the member will continue to receive his or her pension (unless he or she elects to rejoin the Plan after 24 months of continuous service)
For more information, refer to Re-employment After Retirement.
Employees living outside of Ontario
We have an employee who reports to work in our Ontario office, but lives outside of Ontario – is there any impact on their eligibility under the Plan?
As long as the employee resides within Canada and reports to work in Ontario, there is no special pension requirement or considerations.
Pensionable Earnings
Pensionable Earnings Definition
What earnings are considered pensionable vs non-pensionable earnings?
- benefits received under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act (“WISA”) plus any employer supplement up to the maximum of the member’s base salary
- one-time lump sum merit awards received by non-bargaining unit employees who are at the maximum of their salary range or scale and receive an increase as a lump sum payment in lieu of the increase to their base salary
- earnings for periods where members are receiving Short Term Disability (“STD”) Long Term Disability (“LTD”) benefits under their employer sponsored benefit plan
- overtime pay
- irregular-hours premiums
- performance bonuses (other than the one-time lump sum merit award received by non-bargaining unit employees identified above) which are typically awarded over and above general merit awards and usually based on a percent of an employee’s annual salary
- signing, incentive, or retention bonuses
- job differential pay
- second-language bonuses
- pay in lieu of vacation
- Management Compensation Option
- any payment in lieu of employer-provided benefits
What is the difference between a pensionable NBU lump sum merit award vs a non-pensionable performance bonus?
A pensionable one-time lump sum merit award is a cash lump sum payment received by a non-bargaining unit employee who is at the maximum of their salary range or scale and received an increase as a lump sum payment in lieu of the increase to their base salary.
Non-pensionable performance bonuses are typically awarded over and above general merit awards and are usually based on a percent of an employee’s annual salary.
Contributions
Prior Year Retroactive Changes
How do I process a prior year retroactive salary change and prior year retroactive contributions?
Contact WISE Trust immediately before processing the prior year retroactive salary & contributions for employees, including one-off calculations required for only one employee.
To ensure the correct additional prior year retroactive pension contributions are deducted, WISE Trust will provide you with instructions whereby WTW will calculate the contribution amounts for you once you provide the requested data.
Required Contributions
Are pension contributions required for all pensionable earnings?
Yes
Employee contributions are based on pensionable earnings, and required for members to accrue pensionable service under the Plan (for questions on what’s considered pensionable, refer to the Pensionable Earnings above).
Employers must deduct employee pension contributions from each member’s pensionable earnings and remit both the employee and corresponding employer contributions in accordance with the Contribution Rates in effect during the earnings period.
For required contributions for periods that members are in receipt of Long-Term Disability (LTD), Short-Term Disability (STD), or WSIB claim benefits, refer to the question below.
Required Contributions for members on LTD or STD
Are pension contributions required for members in receipt of LTD or STD benefits?
Yes,
LTD: All Participating Employers pay the employee contributions on behalf of their members on Long Term Disability (LTD), in addition to their own corresponding employer contributions. These “deemed” employee contribution amounts owing for members on LTD are calculated and reported to each Employer on the “I3 Deeming Contribution Report” for each pay period and reflected on the “Monthly Contributions Remittance Statement” which details the amount owing to the Plan fund each month.
STD: WSIB – for members in receipt of Short Term Disability (STD) benefits that are paid by the employer (via payroll), employee contributions must be deducted from the amounts received by the employee up to day 40 of the continuous STD period and reported through the I2 data interface file which are remitted along with the required employer contributions.
The employer pays the employee’s contributions from day 41 on behalf of the member which are included in the I3 Deeming Contribution Report for each pay period and reflected on the Monthly Contributions Remittance Statement.
STD: SWA and WISE Trust – for members in receipt of STD benefits that are paid by the employer (via payroll), employee contributions must be deducted based on the earnings prior to the first day of the disability leave and reported through the I2 data interface file which are remitted along with the required employer contributions.
If the STD or WSIB claim benefits are not paid by the employer, and instead by an insurance carrier or WSIB, the leave period is eligible for purchase by the employee upon return to work where contributions will be made through the buyback process.
Note: It’s important that employers use the correct leave of absence code (e.g., STD not paid vs STD paid based on their STD benefits program type). Contact WISE Trust with any questions.
CPT30 Form
I received a CPT30 Form for an employee, what do I need to do?
Active members age 65 or older who are in receipt of Canada Pension Plan (CPP) benefits and have an approved CPT30 Form are exempt from making CPP Contributions. This means their contributions to the WISE Trust Plan are based only on the contribution rate that is above the YMPE in the plan contribution formula. You will need to enter the date on which the member became exempt into the “CPP Start Date” field on your payroll system.
Refer to Contributions for Members Exempt from CPP Contributions (CPT30 Form) for more information.
Monthly Contribution Remittance Schedule
When do we need to remit employee and employer contributions to the Plan?
You must remit contributions as per the Annual WTW Consolidated Processing Calendar (EFT Contribution Remittance Schedule) to comply with the legislative requirement under the Pension Benefits Act (PBA).
Refer to Contribution Remittance for more information on the process.
Monthly Contribution Remittance Statement
I don't understand the amounts shown on the monthly Contribution Remittance Statement
Refer to Contribution Remittance for details and contact WISE Trust as required.
Termination from Employment
Transferring Employment to another Participating Employer
One of our employees will be terminating employment with us to start a new job with another Participating Employer - how does this affect their pension benefit?
If you are aware that your terminating employee will begin employment with a another Participating Employer immediately within one business day following the termination date with your organization, contact WISE Trust and WTW Admin as soon as possible.
In this case, there is no break in service under the Plan and you may be required to provide us/confirm your former employee’s Year-to-Date (YTD) Pensionable Earnings to ensure the member’s continued membership and the correct calculation of pension contributions required by the new Participating Employer going forward to the year-end.
If there is a break in employment greater than one business day between Participating Employers, membership under the Plan will terminate and your terminating employee will receive an termination option package from WTW outlining the options available to them with respect to their pension benefit earned while employed by your organization.
Termination Reason
I have been asked by WTW to confirm the termination reason for terminating employees – what is the definition for voluntary and involuntary termination categories?
ESA Termination Notice
Is the ESA termination notice pensionable?
Yes, terminated members entitled to ESA termination notice continue to accrue pension service past their termination of employment date up to their ESA termination notice period end date – pension contributions must be deducted accordingly regardless if the ESA termination notice period is paid as a lump sum or salary continuance.
- For pension purposes, the termination date = the ESA Notice Period End Date.
The ESA Notice Period End Date is sent from the Employer to WTW via the I1 Demographic & HR Data Interface using the appropriate action reason codes, with the exception noted below for lump sums payouts for certain employers.
Lump sum payout of ESA Termination Notice
For SWA and WISE Trust employers, you will need to notify/confirm the ESA Notice Period End Date to the WTW Admin Team and ensure pension contributions are deducted from the lump sum payout amount.
For WSIB, as part of the I1 Data Validation process, review the Termination Report to confirm the correct ESA Notice Period End Date appears for ESA termination notice periods paid as lump sum and that contributions have been deducted accordingly.
Refer to I1 Data Validation Reports for more information.
Severance
Is severance pensionable?
It depends if severance is paid as salary continuance or paid as a lump sum:
Salary continuance
Severance pay beyond the ESA notice period is pensionable only if it is paid as salary continuance where the former employee remains on your payroll and continues to receive bi-weekly severance pay with pension contributions deducted accordingly.
- For pension purposes, the termination date = the Salary Continuance End Date
Note: If the member’s employment has been terminated and they are receiving severance through salary continuance to a future date where they may be retirement eligible (i.e., approaching age 55 or older), you must report the Severance End Date to the WTW Admin Team (cc WISE Trust) via a “Severance Report” or notification email.
Lump sum payout of Severance
Severance pay beyond the ESA notice period that is paid as a lump sum amount is not pensionable.
- For pension purposes, the termination date = the ESA Notice Period End Date if eligible, or if not, the Termination of Employment Date
Severance Reporting
Do I need to advise WTW of members receiving severance?
Yes, if a member’s employment has been terminated and they are receiving severance through salary continuance to a future date where they will be retirement eligible (i.e., approaching age 55 or older) you must report the Severance End Date to the WTW Admin Team (cc WISE Trust) via a “Severance Report” or notification .
This will ensure the retirement is initiated, if applicable, and the retirement option package is sent out to the member well in advance of the retirement date.
Temporary Employee
We are rehiring a former Temporary Employee who recently terminated - are there any pension impacts that I need to be aware of?
If a Temporary Employee is being rehired within 15 business days of the expiration of the Temporary Employee’s prior contract, or the contract is being renewed, advise WISE Trust and the WTW Admin Team.
Under the Plan, a Temporary Employee who is re-hired within 15 business days of the expiration of the Temporary Employee’s prior contract is deemed to have Continuous Employment for eligibility purposes and upon becoming a member, may purchase any period of service during which the member was a Temporary Employee and was not enrolled in the Plan.
Termination Grievance
A terminating employee is challenging or grieving their termination, do I need to let the pensions team know?
Yes, contact WISE Trust immediately.
Termination Grievance
We are re-instating the employment of a formerly terminated employee as part of a grievance settlement, who do I need to contact to determine the impact on the member’s pension benefits?
Contact WISE Trust immediately prior to any proposed settlement where pension benefits are at issue.
Retirement
Initiating Retirement
An employee is retiring, how do I initiate their retirement pension?
Advise the employee to initiate their retirement through the WISE Trust Pension Contact Centre or My Pensions Resource, ideally within 6 to 9 months from the retirement date. At that time, the employee is advised to notify their Manager of their intent to retire.
Employer are then notified of the employee’s initiation via the Retirement Initiation (RI) Report which is posted to DataLink once the employee’s retirement package is generated – you must update your HR/Payroll system with the retirement date indicated on the report.
Refer to Retiring a Member for process details.
Note: If the member’s employment has been terminated and they are receiving severance through salary continuance to a future date where they may be retirement eligible, you must report the Severance End Date to the WTW Admin Team (cc WISE Trust) via a “Severance Report” or notification email.
Mandatory Retirement
Does a member have to retire or start their pension at a certain age?
A member must start to receive a pension from the plan no later than December 1st of the year in which he or she reaches age 71 even if the member continues active employment.
Employers receive an Age 71 Report, via DataLink in Q1 of each calendar year, that identifies active members who have or will reach age 71 in the calendar year – you must update your system to ensure pension contribution deductions cease as of November 30th of the current calendar year.
- If you are subsequently notified via the Retirement Initiation (RI) Report that the member has initiated their retirement prior to December 1st, the November 30th contribution deduction stop date must be updated to reflect the revised retirement date but can be no later than Nov 30th
Refer to Mandatory Retirement at Age 71 for more information on the process.
Cancelling or changing a Retirement Date
An employee has informed us they want to cancel or change their retirement date
If a member decides to cancel or change their retirement date, contact WTW Admin Team and WISE Trust.
- If they want to change their retirement date, WTW will need to reissue a revised Retirement Option Form.
If the member advises WTW directly of the cancellation or change, WTW will contact you.
Death
Active Employee Death
We just learned of an active employee death – what do I need to do?
Notify WTW and WISE Trust and update your HR/Payroll system immediately.
As received, provide WTW with the following documents/information required for survivor benefits under the Plan:
- Original Death Certificate
- Name of executor and contact information
- Notarized copy of the “Last Will and Testament”
- Information (name and date of birth) on dependent children (if any)
Refer to Active Member Passes Away Before Retirement for more information.
eePoint, Case and DataLink
eePoint
What is eePoint?
eePoint is the pension administration system maintained by WTW.
Authorized participating employer representatives have access to view their employees’ pension records for accuracy, upload documents to a member’s record, create and run reports, and communicate with WTW and WISE Trust on specific member cases through the ‘Case’ management functionality of eePoint.
Refer to Pension Administration System and Data Exchange Tools and Training Resources for more information and available training.
DataLink
What is DataLink?
DataLink is a secure WTW website used by WTW, WISE Trust and participating employers to send/receive reports and other confidential member-related data to/from your organization.
Refer to DataLink and Account Management for important details you must follow when sending or receiving reports/data.
DataLink
Why do I need to download reports from DataLink in 10 days - can’t I just store them on the site?
DataLink transmits data only (it is not a document repository).
Report/data files will be automatically deleted from DataLink after 10 days, therefore you must download and store any report/data files accordingly within your organization’s records within 10 days.
eePoint and DataLink Access
How do I get access to or terminate access to either eePoint or DataLink?
WISE Trust oversees user access. All requests to grant/revoke access must be submitted to and approved by the WISE Trust team who will send the approved request to the WTW Admin Team.
Case
What is ‘Case’?
Case is the case management system within the eePoint pension system that allows you, as an authorized participating employer representative, to communicate with WTW and WISE Trust on specific member cases.
Refer to Pension Administration System and Data Exchange Tools and Training Resources for more information and available training.
Case
How do I create/respond to a member Case in eePoint?
Refer to “Creating/Responding to a Case in eePoint” in Training Resources.
Case
How do I attach (or view) a document to a member’s record in eePoint?
Refer to “Attaching a Document to a Member Record in eePoint” in Training Resources.
eePoint Reports
Can I create or use existing reports to extract data from the eePoint pension system?
Yes, eePoint has an extract/reporting functionality. Refer to Training Resources.
Training and Reports
Training
What training is available for our new HR and Payroll co-workers as it relates to pensions?
For a list of available training related to pensions, employer responsibilities and required administrative tasks, refer to Training Resources. Contact WISE Trust if you have any questions.
Reports
Is there a summary list of all reports we receive from WTW with instructions on what we need to do with them?
Yes, refer to Summary of Employer Reports for a list of reports grouped by function.
Reports
What is the I3 Deemed Contribution Report and what do I need to do?
The I3 Report contains deemed contributions for each plan per member on LTD for each pay period.
Deemed contributions are contributions that participating employers contribute on behalf of members on LTD (and STD for WSIB under certain circumstances). These amounts are included in your monthly Contribution Remittance Statement.
Refer to Bi-weekly Deemed Contributions Report (I3) for more information.
Reports
What do I do with the Monthly New Buyback report?
The New Buyback Report contains information for each plan per each member who completed a purchase (or “buyback”) of eligible pensionable service during the reporting period.
You must add/update the amount in the Box 20 column to Box 20 (Registered Pension Plan (RPP) contributions) of the T4 tax slip for the applicable reporting year. The employer contribution amounts are included in your monthly Contribution Remittance Statement.
Refer to Monthly New Buyback Report for more information.
Reports
What is a Pension Adjustment (PA) I-7 file/report and what do I need to do?
A Pension Adjustment (PA) reflects the value of the pension benefit the member accrues in the Plan for a year. An employer must report the PA amount on each employee’s T4 by the end of February in the year following the PA benefit accrual.
You will receive the annual PA (I7) report each year in January.
Refer to Annual Pension Adjustment Report (I7) for more information including details on the amended PA process.
Reports
What is the Age 71 Report?
A member must start to receive a pension from the plan no later than December 1st of the year in which he or she reaches age 71 even if the member continues active employment.
Employers receive an Age 71 Report, via DataLink in Q1 of each calendar year, that identifies active members who have or will reach age 71 in the calendar year – you must update your system to ensure pension contribution deductions cease as of November 30th of the current calendar year.
Refer to Mandatory Retirement at Age 71 for more information on the process.
Participating Employer Responsibilities
Employer Responsibilities
What are my responsibilities as a participating employer in the Plan?
For a list of participating employer responsibilities, refer to Employer Responsibilities.
As a participating employer representative, you must follow the process and procedures outlined in this Employer Services website, and refer employees to the WISE Trust Pension Contact Centre for pension-related questions.
At a high level, key employer responsibilities include:
1. Informing all eligible employees of their right and opportunity to join the Plan (i.e., in their employment contract, as applicable, and in accordance with the provisions noted in Enrolling a Member)
- Permanent employees should be enrolled in the Plan as of their date of hire (membership in mandatory) and can expect to receive a “welcome kit” from WTW (which includes a Plan Booklet and Spousal and Beneficiary Designation form). Encourage your employees to complete the form and send to WTW.
- Temporary employees can expect to receive an enrollment election form from WTW 3 to 6 months in advance of becoming eligible to join the Plan (upon completion of 24 months of continuous employment). If they choose to enroll (membership is optional), they too will receive a welcome kit upon joining.
2. Providing accurate and timely demographic, employment and contribution data (through the bi-weekly I1 and I2 data interface files) – this ensures eligible employees get enrolled and participate in the Plan and receive benefit entitlement packages and payments in accordance with the legislatively prescribed timelines.
3. Ensuring accurate and timely calculation, deduction, and remittance of monthly employee and employer contributions to the pension fund in accordance with the annual schedule which is based on the legislatively prescribed timeline.
4. Referring employees and members to the WISE Trust Pension Contact Centre and our wisetrust.ca website for pension-related questions.
Employer Responsibilities
Do I need to notify WISE Trust of any organizational changes?
Yes, inform WISE Trust as soon as reasonably practicable and in advance of the occurrence of any material change in your operations or workforce that could impact the administration of the Plan (i.e., mass/high volume job impacts such as layoffs, terminations, retirements, collective bargaining agreement or prior year retroactive salary adjustments).
We’ll work with you to identify any impacts related to pension benefits and/or data and make sure we’re staffed appropriately to handle any increased activity volumes and have the necessary information required to support impacted employees.
Employer Responsibilities – Communications
We are creating a communication for our employees that includes information about pensions - does WISE Trust need to review it?
Yes, WISE Trust must review and approve all pension related content in employee communications (e.g., new hire communication, total rewards statements, etc.)
Questions from your Employees
Employee Questions
How do I get answers to employee questions about pension benefits and the Plan?
Employee Questions – Spouse/Beneficiary for pension benefits
A member has a question about his beneficiary for pensions.
Refer the member to the WISE Trust Pension Contact Centre or wisetrust.ca
The Spousal Declaration and Beneficiary Designation Form can be found on My Pension Resource.
Employee Questions – Life Event Changes
A member has a change in spousal and/or beneficiary information - do they need to complete a separate form for pensions?
Yes, remind members that they are required to update the WISE Trust Pension Contact Centre by completing the Spousal Declaration and Beneficiary Designation Form for their pension benefits.
The Spousal Declaration and Beneficiary Designation Form can be found on My Pension Resource.