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.
Pension Plan Information & Administration Overview
The WISE Trust Plan
The Plan is a contributory defined-benefit pension plan registered and regulated under the Ontario Pension Benefits Act (“PBA”) and the federal Income Tax Act (“ITA”). Employee contributions made to the Plan are tax-deductible.
As a defined-benefit pension plan, the pension benefit is defined by a formula that takes into account a member’s Pensionable Earnings and Pensionable Service. The Plan provides members with a pension that is payable for their lifetime.
Plan members include current and former employees of:
- Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (IHSA)
- Public Services Health & Safety Association (PSHSA)
- Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB)
- Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS)
- Workplace Safety North (WSN)
- Workplace Insurance & Safety Employee Trust (WISE Trust)
Information regarding the Plan can be found at wisetrust.ca and in the “Guide to the WSIB Employees’ Pension Plan” booklet found on My Pension Resource.
The Supplementary Plan
The WSIB Employees’ Supplementary Pension Plan (often referred to as the “Supplementary Plan” or “ESPP”) was established for employees of the WSIB and SWA whose earnings exceed the threshold earnings for the maximum pension benefit permitted under the ITA (the “DB Limit”). The purpose of the Supplementary Plan is to ensure that employees whose earnings are above the ITA threshold receive pension benefits based on their total earnings.
The Plan and the Supplementary Plan (the “pension plans”) are intended to operate together to provide the same retirement benefit that the employee would have received if the ITA limits did not exist.
There was no change to the Supplementary Plan governance structure as a result of the conversion of the Plan to a jointly sponsored pension plan in July 2020. WISE Trust does not administer the Supplementary Plan, WSIB remains both the Sponsor and Administrator and is solely responsible for the Supplementary Plan design and funding administration.
WSIB and SWA employees are automatically enrolled in the Supplementary Plan as soon as they are eligible under the Plan AND their earnings reach the ITA earnings threshold under the maximum pension rules (WISE Trust employees are not eligible to join the Supplementary Plan). At this point, employees stop contributing to the Plan and begin making contributions to the Supplementary Plan. Members of the Supplementary Plan contribute a certain percent of their Pensionable Earnings above the ITA threshold in accordance with the Supplementary Plan text. Employee contributions made to the Supplementary Plan are fully tax-deductible, just like contributions made to the Plan.
Upon retirement, members of the Supplementary Plan receive two deposits — one from the Plan and one from the Supplementary Plan.
Pension Administration Service Provider
Willis Towers Watson (WTW) provides pension administration services to both WISE Trust (for the Plan) and WSIB (for the Supplementary Plan) on an outsource basis, providing a shared call centre, pension system, and pension transactions to ensure a seamless plan member experience that integrates member services for both the Plan and the Supplementary Plan:
- The WISE Trust Pension Contact Centre is the main point of contact for employees and members of both pension plans. Participating employers should refer their employees to the Contact Centre for all pension related inquiries.
- As a participating employer:
- WISE Trust is your main point of contact for administration and service delivery inquires/issues and we will work with WSIB as required for issues relating to Supplementary Plan member services.
- WSIB Pensions will remain your point of contact for Supplementary/ESPP contribution remittances, plan design and funding inquiries.
- Refer to the Administrator Contact list.