3.1 Getting Started

Defining an Employee

For administrative purposes, HOOPP defines an employee as a person who is employed in Ontario on a regular, full-time or part-time basis by a participating employer (or filling a permanent and continuing position on a contract basis).

You are responsible for distinguishing between employees and non-employees. You must also determine whether an employee is a full-time or part-time employee for the purpose of participating in HOOPP, and the full-time equivalent (FTE) hours for their position. It is important that you advise new full-time employees that participation in the Plan is a compulsory condition of employment and that they will be enrolled in HOOPP immediately.

Any person who is paid under contract on a fee for service basis or other service arrangement who is not considered to be an employee of your organization is also not an employee for the purposes of the Plan. These individuals may be independent contractors, not employees. As a result, that person cannot participate in HOOPP because they are not employed by your organization.

By contrast, a person hired under a contract of employment, whether on a permanent or fixed-term basis, is eligible to join HOOPP because they are an employee of your organization.

Distributing The HOOPP Handbook

At the time of hire, or when a new employer joins HOOPP, you are required to provide each of your employees with a hard copy of the member information booklet The HOOPP Handbook. This booklet must be given to all new employees who are eligible to become a HOOPP member within 30 days of hire, even those part-time (and other non full-time) employees who choose not to join the Plan. Providing the handbook to all new employees who have the option of joining HOOPP is an important part of your responsibilities as a participating employer and is required by law. The handbook provides key information about HOOPP, including a member’s rights and obligations, and enables part-time and other non-full-time employees to make an informed decision about whether to join the Plan. In addition to the booklet, HOOPP also provides other communications and resources that further explain and promote the value of being a HOOPP member.

Exception to Mandatory Membership

At the time of enrolment, an employee who objects to Plan participation on religious grounds may elect not to join HOOPP. We recommend that you obtain this direction in writing from the employee. The employee must be provided with a copy of The HOOPP Handbook so they are informed of their rights and obligations under the Plan. Employees with questions regarding how HOOPP is invested or operated should be encouraged to contact Member Services.

Enrolment Process

You can enrol members instantly by submitting an Enrolment event in HOOPP Insight.

The enrolment process has the following purposes:

• To provide HOOPP with basic information about the employee including mailing address, phone number, union designation, the employee’s HOOPP membership status and email address. As we continue to evolve our online services and serve our members digitally, it is important that we have a current email address on file. Preferably a personal email address. This will help us communicate faster with members through a secure communication channel as we continue to transition to mainly digital member communication.

• To provide HOOPP with annualized earnings associated with the year of enrolment. Annualized earnings reported should include all expected pensionable earnings for the year including a bonus, where applicable. This information will be used for the purposes of providing member pension estimates and for appropriately pricing any past service purchases before annual data has been provided through the MDC process. See section 4.2 Pensionable Earnings (Click Here).

It’s possible that your new employee may already be a HOOPP member because they:

• Are a member of HOOPP at another employer. The member’s options in this scenario are discussed in sections 3.2 Full-time Employees (Click Here) and section 3.3 Part-time employees (Click Here), or

• Have already elected to retire and are receiving a pension from HOOPP. Upon starting new employment with a HOOPP employer, the retired member can choose to either continue to receive their HOOPP pension and build no further benefits in the Plan, or to re-enrol in the Plan and continue to build their HOOPP pension until age 71. They should contact HOOPP for information to support this decision.

You may also direct members to the HOOPP Handbook and hoopp.com for more information on these situations.

Who to Enrol

• Full-time employees required to join or who choose to enrol

• Ful-time employees hired before their employer joined HOOPP and who choose to enrol as a result of their employer joining HOOPP

• Part-time employees who choose to enrol

• New employees in receipt of a HOOPP retirement pension who want to suspend their pension payments and re-enrol in HOOPP

• Group enrolments resulting from a divestment or amalgamation. HOOPP will provide you with a special process to be followed if a group of non-HOOPP employees is joining your organization from another organization with a registered pension plan due to a divestment – a sale, assignment, or disposition of business. Please reach out to your Regional Manager if such a situation occurs at your organization.

Who Not to Enrol

• Full-time employees hired before their employer joined HOOPP who choose not to enrol in the plan

• Part-time hires who choose not to enroll

• New employees in receipt of a HOOPP pension who do not want to suspend their pension