Canada needs an Employment Insurance (EI) system for the 21st century-one that better meets the needs of workers and employers. As our economy continues to recover from the pandemic and emergency programs wind down, the Government of Canada is consulting with Canadians to build an EI system that is simpler, fairer, and more flexible.
The plan to modernize Canada's EI system must be directly informed by the people who will be impacted. That is why today, the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, the Canada Employment Insurance Commission's Commissioner for Workers, Pierre Laliberté, and the Canada Employment Insurance Commission's Commissioner for Employers, Nancy Healey, launched the second phase of consultations to modernize the EI program.
All Canadians are welcome to provide feedback by visiting the Consulting with Canadians website. This phase of consultations will explore the adequacy of EI benefits, in particular by examining whether the amount and duration of EI benefits meet the objectives of the program and the needs of those contributing to EI. It will also focus on the financial sustainability of the EI program by balancing costs with benefits and limiting the need for premium increases. Roundtable discussions will take place with worker and employer groups and other EI experts beginning in mid-May. The consultations will run until July 29, 2022.
To help inform Canadians, the Government has also released a What We Heard report, which summarizes the key takeaways from the first phase of consultations.
From August 2021 to February 2022, more than 1,900 Canadians and 200 stakeholder groups from across the country representing workers, employers, unions, industry groups and academics shared their experience and expertise to help modernize EI and make the program more resilient, accessible, adequate and financially sustainable.
The Government heard about the importance of reforming the EI program so that it is simpler, more responsive, inclusive and sustainable. The system must evolve to support different kinds of workers, including gig workers and self-employed workers. It needs to better support workers in their times of need while promoting attachment to the workforce, particularly during times of labour shortages.
Budget 2022 reaffirms the Government's commitment to building an EI program that includes simpler and fairer rules for workers and employers, new ways to support experienced workers transitioning to a new career, and coverage for self-employed and gig workers. It also renews the Government's commitment to implement other important changes to the EI program. This includes increasing EI sickness benefits for Canadians who are facing illness or injury from 15 weeks to 26 weeks later this year. To help seasonal workers, Budget 2022 also proposes to extend measures that add five additional weeks of regular benefits to seasonal claimants in 13 targeted EI economic regions until October 2023, while the Government considers longer-term measures that best meet the needs of seasonal workers.
The Government will develop and release its long-term plan for the future of EI after the second phase of consultations conclude in 2022.
