Human Resources Legislative Update
Changes to EI Benefits and Canada Labour Code Leaves to Take Effect on December 3, 2017
Date: November 1, 2017
- As previously reported, amendments to the Employment Insurance Act were passed by the federal government on June 22, 2017 when Bill C-44, Budget Bill Implementation Act, 2017, No. 1 received Royal Assent.
These amendments have been proclaimed into force effective December 3, 2017.
The changes to the employment insurance (EI) regime, among other things, allow for the payment of parental benefits over a longer period at a lower benefit rate, allow maternity benefits to be paid as early as the 12th week before the expected due date, create a benefit for family members to care for a critically ill adult and allow for benefits to care for a critically ill child to be payable beyond parents to prescribed family members.
Additionally, the leave provisions of the Canada Labour Code (Code) which have been amended to coordinate with the new EI regime changes will also come into force on December 3, 2017. The Code changes include increasing the maximum length of parental leave to 63 weeks, extending the period prior to the estimated date of birth when the maternity leave may begin to 13 weeks, as well as creating the critically ill adult leave and changing the critically ill child leave addressed above.
