Continued HOOPP benefit for unpaid emergency leaves

For Plan Rules, please visit the Admin Manual: Link

Employer Leave Reporting Process

This benefit applies to Members on COVID-related unpaid emergency leaves during the declared emergency - one of the two new statutory leaves added to the Employment Standards Act (ESA) by the Provincial government in response to COVID19: declared emergency leave, or an infectious disease leaves. The benefit also applies to the first 15 weeks of an unpaid health leaves (health leaves due to any reason not specific to COVID) Members who are placed on an unpaid COVID 19 related emergency leave or unpaid health leave (for the first 15 weeks) will continue to build their pension as though they were still working, without having to make contributions. Employer contributions are also waived.

If eligible, contributory service will be granted for the portion of the qualifying leave that:

falls within the period of the emergency starting on March 17, 2020 (as declared by the Province of Ontario under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act due to COVID-19); and 
during which the member has no pensionable earnings from the employer.

We anticipate that most members will continue to be paid during this time. For those who are not paid and you have placed on one of the eligible leave types, HOOPP benefits will continue to grow at no cost to the member and employer.

For additional information about Leaves, please vist the Leaves of Absence Section of the Learning Centre.

Duration of continued contributory service

The contributory service will be granted for the period of the leave that falls within the declared provincial state of emergency that started March 17th.

If the leave of absence continues beyond the end date of the provincial state of emergency, then only the portion of service up to this date will be granted at no cost. If the leave of absence started prior of the provincial state of emergency, then only the portion of service during the state of emergency will be granted at no cost.

For period of these leaves that fall prior to or after the declared state of emergency the member (and employer) may contribute for the continuing emergency leave period or remaining first 15 weeks of an unpaid health leave (subject to employer approval where required by the Plan).

Note: Members on a health leave continue to have the ability to apply for free accrual after the first 15 weeks, per normal disability benefit processes. Additionally, the period of an emergency leave that becomes a health leave will count toward the 15-week qualifying period for purposes of applying for disability benefits.

Eligible Periods

Ineligible Periods

This benefit applies to members on COVID-related unpaid emergency leaves during the current declared emergency.

This includes one of the two new statutory leaves added to the Employment Standards Act (ESA) by the provincial government in response to COVID-19:

Declared emergency leave
Infectious disease leave

The benefit also applies to the first 15 weeks of an unpaid health leave.

As the employer you define the period of absence an employee is granted and then report accordingly to HOOPP. If you have determined they do not fall under one of the eligible periods defined in this section they would not be eligible to receive the continued benefits.

paid leaves of absence (including members on a paid emergency leave who elect not to contribute)
other unpaid leaves (statutory or otherwise) other than those described
periods of reduced earnings
periods of temporary layoff

Reminder: please continue to report temporary layoffs as ‘approved non-statutory leaves’  

When service will be applied

HOOPP is targeting late 2020 to grant the contributory service to qualifying eligible members with contributory service.

Contributions that were already taken for eligible members

Any contributions that were already taken from employees deemed to be qualified for this type of leave, should refunded to the member. If the contributions were already remitted to HOOPP, the employer should adjust their next HOOPP remittance based on these amounts. For additional information on Remitting Contributions visit the Remittance Page.

If any refunds are made after the 2020 MDC year, they will need to be reported to HOOPP as a Previous Year Adjustment.

Other impacts

Employer MDC and Member Event processes will not be impacted, and information can be submitted as per their normal process.

However, there will be implications on the member's PA. The PA will need to be recalculated after MDC or after the final event data is provided to HOOPP, which will include the additional contributory service that was granted to members.

Closer to the 2020 MDC timeframe, more information will be provided to employers.

Note: HOOPP will make best efforts to ensure that the revised PAs are provided to employers on a timely basis to minimize any impacts to their T4 reporting processes.