Business Payrolls Survey

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Introduction

Purpose

The Business Payrolls Survey (BPS) is the collection instrument for the Survey of Employment Payrolls and Hours (SEPH, record number 2612). The results of the BPS and administrative data are combined to produce the SEPH estimates.

For more information, please see record number 2612, Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours (SEPH) in the Documentation section below.

The Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours provides a monthly portrait of the amount of earnings, as well as the number of jobs (i.e., occupied positions) and hours worked by detailed industry at the national, provincial and territorial levels.

Additional information

The Business Payrolls Survey measures the month-to-month trends of payroll employment, paid hours and earnings. This survey together with data from the Canada Revenue Agency's PD7A payroll deduction remittances, provides the base data for the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours (SEPH) program estimates.

Your participation is critical to ensure an accurate reflection of your industry, region and business size. As with most business surveys, completion of this survey is a legal requirement under the Statistics Act.

For the purposes of this survey, an employee is considered any person receiving pay for services rendered in Canada or for an employer paid absence, and for whom the employer is required to complete a Canada Revenue Agency "Statement of Remuneration Paid" (T4 slip) form. These persons may work on a full-time, part-time, casual or temporary basis.

Note that Section A covers all the pay periods paid out during the reference month. In Sections B to E, the number of employees, the regular gross pay and hours all relate to the last pay period payable of the reference month. The special payments questions collect information on payments made at any time during the reference month and the periods that the payments cover.

You may fill in the survey and mail it in by the date shown on the label, or alternatively, you can wait for an interviewer to give you a call to fill in the questionnaire over the phone.

Authority

Collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S19.

Confidentiality

Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any information it collects which could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent or as permitted by the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada will use the information from this survey for statistical purposes.

Data-sharing agreements

To reduce respondent burden, Statistics Canada has entered into data-sharing agreements with provincial and territorial statistical agencies and other government organizations, which have agreed to keep the data confidential and use them only for statistical purposes. Statistics Canada will only share data from this survey with those organizations that have demonstrated a requirement to use the data.

Section 11 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with provincial and territorial statistical agencies that meet certain conditions. These agencies must have the legislative authority to collect the same information, on a mandatory basis, and the legislation must provide substantially the same provisions for confidentiality and penalties for disclosure of confidential information as the Statistics Act. Because these agencies have the legal authority to compel businesses to provide the same information, consent is not requested and businesses may not object to the sharing of the data.

For this survey, there are Section 11 agreements with the provincial and territorial statistical agencies of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and the Yukon.

The shared data will be limited to information pertaining to business establishments located within the jurisdiction of the respective province or territory.

Section 12 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with federal, provincial or territorial government organizations. Under Section 12, you may refuse to share your information with any of these organizations by writing a letter of objection to the Chief Statistician and returning it with the completed questionnaire. Please specify the organizations with which you do not want to share your data.

For this survey, there are Section 12 agreements with the statistical agencies of Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

For agreements with provincial and territorial government organizations, the shared data will be limited to information pertaining to business establishments located within the jurisdiction of the respective province or territory.

Record linkage

Your responses for this survey will be combined with your business' monthly payroll deduction files received from the Canada Revenue Agency. Statistics Canada may also combine the information you provide with other survey or administrative data sources.

Coverage

The information for this report should relate only to the specified coverage, and for the reference month as printed on the questionnaire label.

Reporting instructions

Dates Relating to the Last Pay Period

Start and End Dates (Questions 5, 10, 15 and 19)

The last pay period of the reference month is the last payroll accounting period recorded in the books as an accrued expense. It does not matter that the payroll cheques have yet to be issued for this period.

Report the start and end dates for the last complete pay period of the reference month for each applicable employee category. If your last pay period runs three days or less into the next month, you may report that period.

Example:
For the same business used in the example for Gross Monthly Payroll (bi-weekly pay with a 5 day lag time), the last pay period would be from October 20th to November 2nd. Even though this pay period would not be paid out until November 7th, it is the last pay period payable of the reference month.

Regular Gross Pay (Questions 6a, 11a, 16 and 20)

Report the regular gross pay payable for the last pay period of the reference month.

Include any overtime pay for hours worked in the same period.

The regular gross pay payable, before deductions, includes:
-- regular wages and salaries;
-- regularly scheduled or incidental overtime pay relating specifically to overtime worked in the last pay period of the month;
-- regularly paid commissions or bonuses relating to the last pay period of the month (for example, production, incentive or isolation bonus); and
-- employer paid absence for the last pay period of the month.

The regular gross pay payable, before deductions, excludes:
-- all payments that are not for the last pay period being reported;
-- worker's compensation advances paid pending settlement of a claim;
-- compensation in kind;
-- taxable and non-taxable allowances and benefits;
-- travel expenses; and
-- fees for directors who are not employees of the company.

Overtime Payments (Questions 6b and 11b)

Report the overtime pay payable. These are payments for all hours worked in excess of the standard workday or workweek in the last pay period of the reference month.

Overtime pay represents the payment due after rate factors have been applied.

Average Number of Scheduled Working Hours (Questions 7 and 12)

Report the average number of hours of work normally scheduled in a workweek for each employee category. It is important that the reported number is for a single week.

If all the employees within the category have the same number of scheduled workweek hours, then record this number of hours. Report partial hours in decimals.

If within a category employees work a different number of regular hours a week, then record the average number of hours worked by these employees. (See example below)

Example:
If 4 full-time teachers work 40 hours a week and 2 part-time teachers work 24 hours a week, then the average for these employees would be:
((4x40) + (2x24)) ÷ (4+2) = 34.66 average hours

Section A: All Employees and Working Owners of Incorporated Businesses

Section A: All Employees and Working Owners of Incorporated Businesses - Question identifier:1.

What was the gross monthly payroll for all employees and working owners of incorporated businesses? Report the total remuneration PAID during the survey reference month, before deductions. It includes any amount subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips (regular pay, overtime pay, taxable benefits, special payments, etc.).

Section A: All Employees and Working Owners of Incorporated Businesses - Question identifier:2.

What were the start and end dates of the gross monthly payroll reported in question 1? Report the first day of the first regular pay period and the last day of the last regular pay period PAID OUT within the reference month.

Section A: All Employees and Working Owners of Incorporated Businesses - Question identifier:3a.

What was the total number of employees in the last pay period PAID OUT within the reference month? Include employees and working owners of incorporated businesses who received pay for full-time or part-time work or for an employer paid absence.

Section A: All Employees and Working Owners of Incorporated Businesses - Question identifier:3b.

What was the number of part-time employees (those working less than 30 hours a week) included in question 3a? (if none, enter 0)

Section B: Employees Paid by the Hour during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month

Section B: Employees Paid by the Hour during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month - Question identifier:4.

How many employees paid by the hour received pay for work performed or an employer paid absence?

Section B: Employees Paid by the Hour during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month - Question identifier:5.

What were the start and end dates of the last pay period of the reference month?

Section B: Employees Paid by the Hour during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month - Question identifier:6a.

For that last pay period, what was their regular gross pay payable, including overtime pay?

Section B: Employees Paid by the Hour during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month - Question identifier:6b.

What was their overtime pay payable included in question 6a? (if none, enter 0)

Section B: Employees Paid by the Hour during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month - Question identifier:7a.

For the last pay period, what was their total number of hours payable, including overtime hours?

Section B: Employees Paid by the Hour during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month - Question identifier:7b.

What was their total number of overtime hours worked included in question 7a? (if none, enter 0)

Section B: Employees Paid by the Hour during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month - Question identifier:8.

What special payments were PAID to hourly employees at any time during the reference month? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips - for example accumulated leave, bonuses, retroactive payments, termination pay, commissions, etc.

Section C: Salaried Employees during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month (excluding Working Owners)

Section C: Salaried Employees during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month (excluding Working Owners) - Question identifier:9.

How many salaried employees received pay for work performed or an employer paid absence?

Section C: Salaried Employees during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month (excluding Working Owners) - Question identifier:10.

What were the start and end dates of the last pay period of the reference month?

Section C: Salaried Employees during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month (excluding Working Owners) - Question identifier:11a.

For that last pay period, what was their regular gross pay payable, including overtime pay?

Section C: Salaried Employees during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month (excluding Working Owners) - Question identifier:11b.

What was their overtime pay payable included in question 11a? (if none, enter 0)

Section C: Salaried Employees during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month (excluding Working Owners) - Question identifier:12.

What was their average number of scheduled working hours in a week?

Section C: Salaried Employees during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month (excluding Working Owners) - Question identifier:13.

What special payments were PAID to salaried employees at any time during the reference month? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips - for example accumulated leave, bonuses, retroactive payments, termination pay, commissions, etc.

Section D: Working Owners of Incorporated Businesses during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month

Section D: Working Owners of Incorporated Businesses during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month - Question identifier:14.

How many working owners received pay for work performed or an employer paid absence?

Section D: Working Owners of Incorporated Businesses during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month - Question identifier:15.

What were the start and end dates of the last pay period of the reference month?

Section D: Working Owners of Incorporated Businesses during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month - Question identifier:16.

For that last pay period, what was their regular gross pay payable?

Section D: Working Owners of Incorporated Businesses during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month - Question identifier:17.

What special payments were PAID to working owners at any time during the reference month? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips - for example salary covering longer than the last pay period of the month, accumulated leave, bonuses, termination pay, commissions, etc.

Section E: Other Employees during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month (Employees paid exclusively by commission or piecework or another form of payment not already reported).

Section E: Other Employees during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month (Employees paid exclusively by commission or piecework or another form of payment not already reported). - Question identifier:18.

How many other employees received pay for work performed or an employer paid absence?

Section E: Other Employees during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month (Employees paid exclusively by commission or piecework or another form of payment not already reported). - Question identifier:19.

What were the start and end dates of the last pay period of the reference month?

Section E: Other Employees during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month (Employees paid exclusively by commission or piecework or another form of payment not already reported). - Question identifier:20.

For that last pay period, what was their regular gross pay payable, including overtime pay?

Section E: Other Employees during the Last Pay Period of the Reference Month (Employees paid exclusively by commission or piecework or another form of payment not already reported). - Question identifier:21.

What special payments were PAID to other employees at any time during the reference month? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips - for example accumulated leave, bonuses, retroactive payments, termination pay, commissions, etc.

Section F: Vacant Positions for the Last Business Day of the Reference Month

Section F: Vacant Positions for the Last Business Day of the Reference Month - Question identifier:22.

Were there any vacant positions on the last business day of the reference month? (To be vacant, a position must exist, the employer must actively be seeking workers from outside the organization and the work may commence within 30 days.)

Section F: Vacant Positions for the Last Business Day of the Reference Month - Question identifier:23.

How many positions were vacant on the last business day of the reference month?

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