All experts and observers agree that the Employment Insurance program needs to be reformed. In particular, the coverage needs to be expanded and protections need to be increased. Despite the government’s repeated commitments to reform and multiple consultations, nothing is assured…
Why is it always pushed to a later date?
Who is slowing things down?
TAKE A LOOK AT PROMISES THAT STILL NEED TO BE KEPT
| Promises | Sources | Status |
| Present and implement a plan to modernize the Employment Insurance Program for the 21st Century | Mandate Letter (November 2015) Mandate Letter (September 2016) Mandate Letter (January 2021) Plateform 2021 (Introduction/p.21) Mandate Letter (December 2021) | Ø |
| Introduce a new EI benefit for self-employed Canadians | Speech from the Throne 2020 Mandate Letter (January 2021) Platform 2021 (p.21) Mandate Letter (December 2021) | Ø |
| Improve the current pilot project and introduce a permanent program for seasonal workers | Platform 2019 (p.13) Mandate Letter (December 2019) | Ø |
| Create for 2021 a new Employment Insurance Disaster Assistance Benefit | Platform 2019 (p.30) Mandate Letter (December 2019) | Ø |
It seems unthinkable that on September 25th, when the temporary measures expire, we could even consider going back, even temporarily, to a broken EI program, the one we have known since the 1990s.
The time is NOW to repair the social safety net and to, once and for all, reform Employment Insurance!
Our priorities for EI Reform:
The expansion of coverage, to sectors of society which are currently excluded from EI, primarily self-employed workers, but also those who are poorly protected: part-time and seasonal workers, and Indigenous communities. Extending coverage also means easing the overly severe penalties and sanctions for dismissal or resignation. Before the temporary crisis measures, one in four applicants, who had worked and contributed to EI was excluded because of these policies.
Improving protections: raising the rate and extending the period of benefits, modifying the calculation method, and seeking to simplify the application of this program by introducing simpler universal rules, because this program has become unnecessarily complex.