Are you hiring your first employee in Saskatchewan? Congratulations! Now what?

If you are planning to hire your first employee, congratulations! The change from running the business all on your own to hiring your first employee can be an exciting time. Our list of topics will help ensure you comply with government rules and establish a positive working relationship with your new hire.

Letter of offer 

You can establish a strong foundation of employment with a letter of offer, outlining the terms of the employment. Have the new employee sign it to confirm they understand and accept what your company is offering. 

CFIB’s sample letter of offer can save time developing an employment agreement. Login to the Member Portal and browse the Resource Library. If you don’t see the template you need, contact a CFIB Business Counsellor at 1-888-234-2232 or mssask@cfib.ca.

If you have any questions about how to adapt the template, or want to review it with someone, contact a CFIB Business Counsellor. 

Job description

Creating a job description sets employment expectations and can help in performance management of your new hire. Tips and resources are available at: Why do job descriptions matter?

CFIB’s job description template is a great place to start. Login to the Member Portal and browse the Resource Library. If you don’t see the template you need, contact a CFIB Business Counsellor at 1-888-234-2232 or mssask@cfib.ca.

Employee or self-employed contractor status

Sometimes it may not be clear if the new hire is an employee or a self-employed contractor. It is very important to know the status as this determines who pays EI, CPP, income tax and WCB premiums.

We recommend requesting a ruling from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). They will study the total working relationship, not just the documents both parties have signed. Learn more with CRA's Employee or Self-employed? (Guide RC4110).

You should also research this status from the perspective of the Workers Compensation Board of Saskatchewan, to know which party is responsible for WCB premiums. Plus, some aspects of the employment may or may not be protected by Saskatchewan Employment Standards.

Payroll

Open a payroll account with Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for the source deductions you will deduct from your employee's paycheque. You will remit both the employer- and employee-portions of these deductions to CRA. Call 1-800-959-5525 or register online.

To know how much income tax to deduct, have your employee complete a TD-1 form for both federal and Saskatchewan personal income taxes. You don’t need to send the forms to CRA; simply keep them on file.

CRA has an online payroll deductions calculator to help know the amounts for Employment Insurance (EI) premiums and Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions.

You can also type 'payroll' in the filter on CRA's Business Video Gallery to access details about payroll obligations.

Workers' compensation

You may not have registered with the Workers Compensation Board (WCB) as a sole proprietor. In Saskatchewan, close to 80% of workplaces must register for workers’ compensation coverage. Unless your type of business is on the list of industries exempt from WCB, as soon as you hire an employee, you must open a WCB account. Review the list of compulsory industries. 

You will pay premiums based on the employee’s earnings and can’t deduct premiums from wages. Contact WCB Employer Services at 306-787-4370, 1-800-667-7590, employerservices@wcbsask.com or register online.

Employment standards  

Familiarize yourself with employment standards laws that set out hours of work, overtime, vacation, statutory holidays, notice of termination, etc. You need to provide these minimum standards to your new hire. Some employers provide more, but no one can agree to work for less than the minimum rules.

Approximately 90% of Saskatchewan firms fall under The Saskatchewan Employment Act. A great place to start is Saskatchewan Employment Standards.

The other 10% – from the grain industry, air transportation, aircraft operations, highway transportation, communications – adhere to the Canada Labour Code. If your workplace is on the list of federally-regulated workplaces read Part III of the Canada Labour Code and the pamphlets.

Workplace health and safety

There are a variety of rules to follow to provide a safe working environment for your new hire. Even the smallest workplaces in every industry have safety requirements under The Saskatchewan Employment Act. Check for information on the Government of Saskatchewan's Safety in the Workplace.

Resources and templates to make compliance easier are available on CFIB's Better Safe than Sorry: 5 ways your business can improve workplace health and safety.

Training

Along with your on-the-job training, VuBIZ online training through your CFIB membership offers a variety of free courses including “Customer First” about communications, active listening, handling difficult people and “Workplace and Personal Skills” about team meetings, delegating, dealing with conflict, managing stress, etc.

Four certificate courses are available for $69 per person per course. These options provide 20 to 30 hours of training on small business management, health and safety, sales and marketing, and human resources.

CFIB's Business Counsellors are available to help CFIB members with staff planning and complying with government requirements. Contact us at 1-888-234-2232 or mssask@cfib.ca.