Human Resources Legislative Update
Federal Budget Implementation Legislation Introduced
Date: April 11, 2017
On April 11, 2017, the federal government introduced Bill C-44, the Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 1, omnibus legislation that would enact various measures outlined in its 2017 Budget.
The accompanying Department of Finance Backgrounder indicates that Bill C-44 would, among other things, amend the Employment Insurance Act to:
- allow parents to choose to receive Employment Insurance (EI) parental benefits over an extended period of up to 18 months at a lower benefit rate of 33 per cent of average weekly earnings, or to receive EI at the existing benefit rate of 55 per cent over a period of up to 12 months
- permit women to claim EI maternity benefits up to 12 weeks before their due date, instead of the current standard of 8 weeks.
The above changes would be effective as of the 2017 tax year.
Bill C-44 further proposes supporting amendments to the Canada Labour Code to, among other things, increase the maximum length of parental leave and extend the period prior to the estimated date of birth when the maternity leave may begin.
We are reviewing Bill C-44 and will be providing you with further updates on our website.
