Mark your Calendars
November 19, 2009
Annual General Meeting
More info to follow soon.
May 20, 2010
GCABC/WDMA-BC Golf Tournament - Northview Golf Course
More info to follow soon.
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Group Health Benefits
Bonding and Liability Program |
GCABC has broadened their agreement with ICBA with their Group Benefit Program to include their new Bonding and Liability Insurance Program - merging with well known Wilson Beck Insurance.
If your company is looking at reviewing your group health package contact ICBA directly and be sure to let them know you are a member of GCABC. Click here for some information on their website.
If your company is looking at quotes for bonding or liability insurance contact Wilson Beck directly. Click here for contact information.
Remember it never hurts to get another quote! |
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Canadian Glass Association announces National Directory
The Canadian Glass Association is producing an national directory that will include all the members of each of the provincial associations across Canada.
For more information click here
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The Term Contract Trap
There are two types of employment contracts, indefinite and limited-term.
The misuse of the latter, and the resulting liability, is a trap into which
employers routinely stumble.
If used properly, limited-term contracts can be a useful and effective
tool for structuring employment relationships. In my experience, however,
there are three common outcomes from the use of limited-term employment
contracts and two of them are undesirable.
The purpose of a limited-term employment contract is to document a
relationship which is truly time-limited. The employer hires an employee
for a particular period of time and when the contract expires the employee
departs.
Read more - click here
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BC Stats
Here is the summary of the stats
from November 6, 2009
- Unemployment climbs to the
highest level in six years, rising to 8.3% in October.
- Aquaculture production remains
stable in 2008
- Building permits drop in
September.
- REPORT - Characteristics of
Immigrants and Non-Immigrants in BC
For more information click here
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GCABC General Meeting Topics
Normally I would not have my
article as the lead story, however for this issue I am going to break with
protocol. Recently I sent a survey out to the membership asking
"What topics would you like to see discussed at general membership
meetings?" I was impressed to say the least. I have over 25
responses to this question and over 50 unique suggestions for meeting topics.
Some of those topics included:
- Round table discussions with
specification writers
- Updates and discussions
regarding new energy regulations
- New approaches in curtain wall
designs
- Green buildings and LEED
certifications
- Innovations in Glazing;
photovoltaic, new products
- Workers safety
- Working smarter, using
technology to assist in the workplace
- Isobars
- Sealants
- Construction Sector Council -
BCLMI discussions
- Estimating and project
management
- Journeyperson upgrading.
These are just a few of the ideas and suggestions. Over the next
few weeks I will be working on a schedule for the next year that will bring
many of these topics forward for discussion. We will continue to have meetings
outside of the lower mainland and are currently working on offering meeting
attendance via teleconferencing and virtual meeting space.
I urge you to remember, that these meetings will only be successful if they are
attended. We can do all the work in locating speakers and topics, venues
and alternative methods of delivery, but if no one registers there is no reason
to hold the meeting.
Hope to see you all on November 19, 2009.
Regards
Zana |
More HST Information
Summary of the key transitional rules
The general rule is that the
HST will apply to the sale of goods where ownership is transferred after June
2010 and to the provision of a service performed after June 2010. Where
services straddle July 1, 2010, the tax charged for the service may have to be
split between the pre-July 2010 and post-June 2010 periods. As an exception to
this rule, the HST will generally not apply to a service if all or
substantially all (90% or more) of the service is performed before July 2010.
Supplies of intangible property (e.g., goodwill, intellectual property or
contractual rights) will be subject to the HST where the consideration becomes
due or is paid without having become due after June 2010.
Where the supply of goods and
services are involved, four key timelines are important. These timelines are
all based on the earlier of the time the consideration is either due1 or is paid
without having come due. If consideration is due or paid:
- Before October
15, 2009, HST will generally not apply.
-
From October 15,
2009 to April 30, 2010, certain businesses and public services bodies that are
not entitled to recover all of their GST/HST paid as an input tax credit (ITC)
may be required to self-assess the provincial component of the HST with respect
to goods or services supplied after June 30, 2010. A person required to
self-assess under this rule will generally account for the tax either in the
GST/HST return for the reporting period that includes July 1, 2010 provided the
return is due before November 2010 or in a prescribed form before November
2010.
The
self-assessment rules will also apply to selected listed financial institutions
using the special attribution method or organizations using simplified
procedures to calculate their net tax. Self-assessment is also required for
those supplies acquired by large businesses exclusively for commercial
activities and restricted under the proposed ITC restrictions. The rules will
not apply to individuals purchasing the goods or service for their personal
use.
Example:
In February 2010, a company making both taxable and exempt supplies is invoiced
for the supply of a snow removal and landscaping service where 40% of the
service will be performed after June 2010. The company must self-assess the
provincial component of the HST with respect to the part of the service to be
performed after June 2010. Assuming the business has a calendar year-end and
quarterly reporting period, it would be required to account for the provincial
component of the HST in its return for the period ending in September, due
October 31, 2010 (i.e., for the reporting period that includes July 1, 2010).
It will also be able to claim any allowable ITC with respect to the supply on
this same return.
- From May 1, 2010
to June 30, 2010, HST will generally apply for property or services supplied
after June 30, 2010. The supplier is required to account for the provincial
component of HST in the return for the reporting period that includes July 1,
2010.
Example:
In June 2010, an individual purchases a new computer but it will not be
delivered, and ownership will not be transferred, until July 2010. The HST will
apply to the sale and the vendor will have to account for the provincial
component of the HST in the GST/HST reporting period of the vendor that
includes July 1, 2010.
- After June 30,
2010, HST will generally apply. An exception to this rule would be where
ownership of the property is transferred before July 2010 or the invoice
relates to services provided before July 2010.
In addition to the above
general rules, special rules will apply to a number of situations, some of
which are addressed below.
GCABC will be planning for an HST seminar after the holidays.
Click here |
Release
of the 2010 Proposed Amendments for Consultation
In September 2009 the
Board of Directors ("BOD") approved the release of the 2010 proposed amendments
to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation ("OHSR") for consultation.
The consultation
phase provides stakeholders with an opportunity to provide feedback on the
proposed amendments. All feedback received will be reviewed and changes made to
the proposed amendments, where appropriate, prior to the proposed amendments
being taken to a public hearing in May or June 2010. WorkSafeBC must hold a
public hearing under the Workers Compensation Act before a regulation
can be made. There are 12
regulatory amendment packages under review. These are listed below. From the
regulatory packages, you will be able to access:
- overviews of the proposed
regulatory changes; and
- proposed amendments including
explanatory notes. Proposed deletions in the regulatory amendments are
identified with a
strikethrough and additions are in bold text
and highlighted in yellow.
For more information on these changes and how you can be heardClick
here |
GCABC's Website Membership Profile
Don't forget to check and make sure your company information is posted and correct. Click here to go to the membership page.
If you notice your company name is not there don't be worried it just got lost during the transition. Let me know right away and I will add it.
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ITA Direct Access | |
With
the introduction of ITA Direct Access the Industry Training Authority is now
able to offer you paperless communications, including same day notification
when updates are made to your apprentice's training record. To
make this happen, we need you to contact us and tell us you want
"Email" set as your preferred communication channel for all
correspondence from the ITA. The
benefits are many: no longer will you need to call us to check on the status of
sent paperwork; instead, you will automatically receive an email once it has
been processed. The paperwork/updates that will prompt a notification include:
- New
registrations
- Sponsor
changes
- Course
or exam results
- Competency
assessments
- Work
Based Training Hours entered.
Whenever
a technical training course result or report of work-based training hours is
entered into your apprentice's record, your email notification will also
include an updated, official ITA transcript. Among other things, this will make
it faster and easier to apply for your AIG grants or BC Training Tax credits
when your organization is eligible to do so. Sponsors
who have already made the switch to paperless notifications are finding it far
easier to track their apprentice's progress by storing email updates in a
folder in their email Inbox. Never
having to search again for paperwork is almost as much a benefit as the
positive impact you'll have on the environment. How
to go paperless: If
you'd like to try paperless notifications for your organization simply send an email.
In your email please note:
- I
want to go paperless
- Your
name
- Your company name
Once they have this information they make the switch for you right away. Remember you can always go back to paper notifications any time you want.
Should
you have any questions please contact our Customer Service office. Customer
Service representatives are available Monday to Friday from 8:00AM to 4:30PM at
778-328-8700 in the Lower Mainland or toll free at 1-866-660-6011 outside the
Lower Mainland.
Customer
Service
Industry
Training Authority
110
- 2985 Virtual Way
Vancouver
BC V5M4X7
www.itabc.ca |
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