Vic Toews, Member of Parliament for Provencher and President of the Treasury Board, today welcomed the introduction of the Fairness for the Self-Employed Act, stating that self-employed Canadians should not have to choose between their family and their business responsibilities.
The legislation would extend Employment Insurance (EI) special benefits, including maternity, parental, sickness and compassionate care benefits, to the self employed.
“Extending access to these benefits is the fair and right thing to do, representing one of the most significant enhancements to the EI program in the last decade,” said Toews.
Through the new legislation, self-employed Canadians who opt into the EI program would be eligible to receive the same special benefits currently available to salaried employees, specifically:
• maternity benefits (15 weeks maximum) available to birth mothers and cover the period surrounding birth;
• parental/adoptive benefits (35 weeks maximum) available to biological or adoptive parents while they are caring for a newborn or newly adopted child, and may be taken by either parent or shared between them;
• sickness benefits (15 weeks maximum), which may be paid to a person who is unable to work because of sickness, injury or quarantine; and
• compassionate care benefits (6 weeks maximum), which may be paid to persons who have to be away from work temporarily to provide care or support to a family member who is gravely ill with a significant risk of death.
Under the proposed legislation, self-employed Canadians would be required to opt into the program at least one year prior to claiming benefits. With a program start date of January 2010, claims could be made as early as January 1, 2011.
“We are living up to our commitment to provide income security and peace of mind to the 2.6 million Canadians who are self-employed. They deserve the same options for income protection that salaried employees currently receive when it comes to major life events,” concluded Toews.
