Business Payrolls Survey

Why are we conducting this survey?

The survey will collect information to measure the month-to-month trends of payroll employment, paid hours and earnings of employees; including working owners of incorporated businesses. Your participation is critical to ensure an accurate reflection of your industry, region and business size.

Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.

Your participation in this survey is required under the authority of the Statistics Act.

Other important information

Authorization to collect this information

Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19.

Confidentiality

By law, Statistics Canada is prohibited from releasing any information it collects that 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 only.

Record linkages

To enhance the data from this survey and to reduce the response burden, Statistics Canada may combine the acquired data with information from other surveys or from administrative sources.

Data-sharing agreements

To reduce the response 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, specifying the organizations with which you do not want Statistics Canada to share your data, and mailing it to the following address:

Chief Statistician of Canada
Statistics Canada
Attention of Director, Centre for Labour Market Information
150 Tunney's Pasture Driveway
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0T6

You may also contact us by email at Statistics Canada Help Desk or by fax at 613-951-6583.

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

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

Business or organization and contact information

1. Verify or provide the business or organization's legal and operating name, and correct information if needed.

2. Verify or provide the contact information for the designated contact person for the business or organization, and correct information if needed.

3. Verify or provide the current operational status of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name above.

4. Verify or provide the current main activity of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name above.

All employees and working owners of incorporated businesses for the survey reference month

1. What was the total number of employees in the last pay period of the survey reference month? Include: any person receiving pay for an employer paid absence, and for whom the employer is required to complete a Canada Revenue Agency T4 slip. These persons may work on a full-time, part-time, casual or temporary basis.

2. Which category of employees are you reporting for the last pay period of the survey reference month? Select all that apply.

3. Did you have more than 1 payroll for any category of employees for the last pay period of the survey reference month? Multiple payroll: when you pay at different pay frequencies or if you have multiple pay periods with different start and end dates.

4. How many payrolls for the following categories of employees did you have for the last pay period of the survey reference month?

  1. Number of payrolls for employees paid by the hour.
  2. Number of payrolls for salaried employees. Exclude working owners of incorporated businesses.
  3. Number of payrolls for working owners of incorporated businesses.
  4. Number of payrolls for other employees. Employees paid exclusively by commission, piecework or other form of payments.

Employees paid by the hour during the last pay period of the survey reference month

The following questions are about employees paid by the hour. Include any employee whose basic wage is expressed as an hourly rate.

5. For payroll x of the employees paid by the hour, how many received pay for work performed or an employer paid absence for the last pay period of the survey reference month? Employer paid absence could be statutory holidays, vacation days, sick days etc.

6. For payroll x of the employees paid by the hour, what were the start and end dates of the last pay period of the survey reference month?

7. For payroll x of the employees paid by the hour, what is the pay frequency?

8a. For payroll x of the employees paid by the hour, what was the regular gross pay payable including overtime, for the last pay period?

8b. For payroll x of the employees paid by the hour, what was the overtime pay payable included in question 8a? Enter "0", if no overtime was paid.

9a. For payroll x of the employees paid by the hour, what was the total number of hours payable including overtime hours worked, for the last pay period?

9b. For payroll x of the employees paid by the hour, what was the total number of overtime hours worked included in question 9a? Enter "0", if no overtime was worked. If necessary, enter a decimal value e.g., 0.25.

11. This is a summary of your reported data for all your employees paid by the hour.

Special payments paid to employees paid by the hour during the month of the survey reference month

13. At any time during the survey reference month, were there any special payments paid to employees paid by the hour? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips. Exclude all remuneration recorded as regular wages and salaries, as well as non-taxable allowances and benefits.

14. At any time during the survey reference month, how many special payments were paid to employees paid by the hour? Do not report the number of employees who received these payments.

15. At any time during the survey reference month, what special payments were paid to employees paid by the hour? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips

What period does the payment cover?

What amount was paid?

Salaried employees during the last pay period of the survey reference month

The following questions are about salaried employees. Include any employee whose basic remuneration is a fixed amount for a period of at least one week. Exclude working owners.

16. For payroll x of the salaried employees, how many received pay for work performed or an employer paid absence for the last pay period of the survey reference month? Exclude working owners. Employer paid absence could be statutory holidays, vacation days, sick days etc.

17. For payroll x of the salaried employees, what were the start and end dates of the last pay period of the survey reference month?

18. For payroll x of the salaried employees, what is the pay frequency?

19a. For payroll x of the salaried employees, what was the regular gross pay payable including overtime pay, for the last pay period?

19b. For payroll x of the salaried employees, what was the overtime pay payable included in question 19a. Enter "0", if no overtime was paid.

21. For payroll x of the salaried employees, what was the average number of scheduled working hours in a week? Report the number of hours in exact hours and decimal e.g., 37.25.

22. This is a summary of your reported data for all your salaried employees.

Special payments paid to salaried employees during the month of the survey reference month

24. At any time during the survey reference month, were there any special payments paid to salaried employees? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips. Exclude all remuneration recorded as regular wages and salaries, as well as non-taxable allowances and benefits.

25. At any time during the survey reference month, how many special payments were paid to salaried employees? Do not report the number of employees who received these payments.

26. At any time during the survey reference month, what special payments were paid to salaried employees? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips.

What period does the payment cover?

What amount was paid?

Working owners of incorporated businesses during the last pay period of the survey reference month

The following questions are about working owners of incorporated business. Include working directors, working owners, partners and other officers of incorporated businesses for whom the employer is required to complete a Canada Revenue Agency T4 slip.

27. For payroll x of the working owners, how many received pay for work performed or an employer paid absence for the last pay period of the survey reference month? Employer paid absence could be statutory holidays, vacation days, sick days etc.

28. For payroll x of the working owners, what were the start and end dates of the last pay period of the survey reference month?

29. For payroll x of the working owners, what is the pay frequency?

30. For payroll x of the working owners, what was the regular gross pay payable including overtime pay, for the last pay period?

31. This is a summary of your reported data for all your working owners.

Special payments paid to working owners of incorporated businesses during the month of the survey reference month

33. At any time during the survey reference month, were there any special payments paid to working owners? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips. Exclude all remuneration recorded as regular wages and salaries, as well as non-taxable allowances and benefits.

34. At any time during the survey reference month, how many special payments were paid to working owners? Do not report the number of employees who received these payments.

35. At any time during the survey reference month, what special payments were paid to working owners? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips.

What period does the payment cover?

What amount was paid?

Other employees during the last pay period of the survey reference month

The following questions are about other employees not already reported. Include any employee whose basic remuneration is only from commissions, piece rates, mileage, or a similar form of remuneration.

36. For payroll x of the other employees, how many received pay for work performed or an employer paid absence for the last pay period of the survey reference month? Employer paid absence could be statutory holidays, vacation days, sick days etc.

37. For payroll x of the other employees, what were the start and end dates of the last pay period of the survey reference month?

38. For payroll x of the other employees, what is the pay frequency?

39. For payroll x of the other employees, what was the regular gross pay payable including overtime pay, for the last pay period?

40. This is a summary of your reported data for all your other employees.

Special payments paid to other employees during the month of the survey reference month

42. At any time during the survey reference month, were there any special payments paid to other employees? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips. Exclude all remuneration recorded as regular wages and salaries, as well as non-taxable allowances and benefits.

43. At any time during the survey reference month, how many special payments were paid to other employees? Do not report the number of employees who received these payments.

44. At any time during the survey reference month, what special payments were paid to other employees? Include all special payments subject to appear in Box 14 of the T4 slips.

What period does the payment cover?

What amount was paid?

Contact person

45. Statistics Canada may need to contact the person who completed this questionnaire for further information. Is xxxx xxxx the best person to contact?

Feedback

46. How long did it take to complete this questionnaire? Include the time spent gathering the necessary information.

47. Do you have any comments about this questionnaire?