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.
Terminating a Member
This section provides information on the termination process and the steps that you must follow when a member terminates employment.
Reporting a Termination
In accordance with the legislative requirement, the WTW Admin Team must issue a “Termination Option Form” to a member within 30 days of the member’s date of termination once the date of termination is received from the employer via the “I1 Demographic & HR Data Interface”.
The process is as follows:
- You must process the termination immediately in your HR/Payroll systems so that the termination date is transmitted to WTW on the next bi-weekly I1 data interface file.
- For questions related to ESA Termination Notice and Severance, refer to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Termination, and contact WISE Trust as needed.
Note: If the member is 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. 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.
- Once the bi-weekly I1 data interface file is processed, you will receive data validation reports from WTW that include a Termination Report – you will be asked to confirm the Termination Reason, within two (2) days as either:
- Voluntary
- Involuntary without cause, or
- Involuntary with cause
Confirm the ESA Notice Period End Date is correct for ESA notice periods paid as a lump sum. If not correct, or the date does appear, advise WTW immediately.
- A Termination Calculation is then created in eePoint by the WTW Admin Team
- The WTW Admin Team will send any data queries to you via your team email inbox
- You must respond to the data queries immediately, no longer than within three (3) business days
- The WTW Admin Team will mail out the “Termination Option Form” to the member when all data is finalized and received; this must be sent within 30 days following the member’s termination date
- All pension entitlements will be processed upon receipt of the member’s completed “Termination Option Form” election
Note: if the member is eligible for retirement and has not yet initiated his/her retirement (as described under Retiring a Member), a Retirement Option Form will be issued instead of a Termination Option Form.
Termination Reasons
| Description of Activating Event for Terminations in accordance with the Pension Benefits Act (PBA)
|
1 | Voluntarily terminated Employee has voluntarily terminated their employment (i.e. employee terminates due to personal reasons, or resigns for another job*) |
2 | Involuntarily terminated without cause Employer’s termination of a member’s employment (*note: this includes circumstances where an employee resigns before the termination date specified in a written notice of termination of employment) |
3 | Involuntarily terminated with cause Employer’s termination of a member’s employment but due to wilful misconduct, disobedience or wilful neglect of duty by the employee/member that is not trivial and has not been condoned by the employer or in certain other circumstances |
FSRA requires that termination option forms be provided to members within 30 days following the member’s termination of employment - timely receipt of accurate data from you as a participating employer is required to meet this deadline!
Note: all instances of non-compliance are reported to the WISE Trust the Board of Trustees.
If a member is challenging or grieving their termination, contact WISE Trust immediately. All questions regarding the grievance settlement as they relate to pension benefits should be directed to WISE Trust.
Advise newly terminating, terminated or retired members to contact the WISE Trust Pension Contact Centre directly for any changes in address or other contact information!
Note: Once you update your HR/Payroll system with a termination, demographic changes such as address and other contact information made after the termination is processed on eePoint will be rejected through the data interface process.
Reinstatement After a Grievance
If a terminated employee is reinstated as part of a grievance settlement and rejoins the Plan as a result, please contact WISE Trust immediately to confirm any impact on the member’s pension benefits.