(Ottawa) The federal government is considering repealing regulations that prevent some new mothers from qualifying for the parental leave program, said Employment Minister Carla Qualtro.
She noted that the problem is exacerbated for new mothers due to the way the system has been designed for decades.
You must work a certain number of hours to qualify for EI benefits. These criteria must be respected during each new request.
If the new mother, who lost her job and applied for general EI benefits, has to apply for parental leave benefits, she will have to work a sufficient number of hours back.
According to the minister, the inability to submit a single claim for employment insurance benefits and parental leave creates inequality in the system, especially for new mothers.
Prior to the outbreak, nearly a third of new mothers were not eligible for the EI Parental Leave Program.
Last year, many other new moms were unable to get a full vacation. The situation is similar for most women. They lost their jobs during the epidemic and were unable to work long hours because of sanctions imposed since the epidemic began.
MMe Qualtrough is exploring ways to eliminate these inequalities.
“Achieving this will be an important step in making employment insurance accessible to more people so that they can benefit from the maximum benefits they are entitled to,” she told the Canadian Press at the end of the year. I was eager to deal with it. I do not yet know how we will approach it or in what order we are going to sort it out, but I’m working on it. This is my main concern. ”
Reforming employment insurance is one of Minister Qualtro’s major missions. In the letter of intent, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he hoped a “more inclusive and better employment insurance system” would be in place by summer 2022.
The plan should include a new employment insurance benefit that can be extended to 26 weeks for self-employed Canadians, a new 15-week benefit for adoptive parents and a new career insurance benefit that provides additional employment income for workers who have lost long-term jobs. Trying to get back into the workforce.
The Minister should also take into account the realities of the artists and workers in the cultural sector.
MMe Qualtruff is confident he can reach the deadline set by the Prime Minister. In addition to establishing new rules and new services, the government will also need to modernize its technical means as the system still operates based on codes enacted in the 1960s.
Businesses are worried about reforms. They fear it will not encourage people to work. ButMe Qualtruff said those concerns were not raised in discussions a few months ago.
“Companies feel they can’t grow without staff,” he said. “I want to tell them to support those who are not working,” she said. It’s an interesting tension that did not exist six months ago. ”
The minister said the next version could include more options for training and development in the employment insurance program. “These are two facts that businesses and Canadians face,” she says.
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