FTR Now
Employment Insurance Work-Sharing Program Special Measures Extended Into 2027
Date: March 16, 2026
The federal government announced that temporary special measures previously introduced under the Employment Insurance Work-Sharing Program (Program) which were originally set to expire on March 6, 2026 have been extended until March 31, 2027.
Extension of Special Measures
In our FTR Now of March 11, 2025, we provided an overview of the special measures, which are intended to provide additional support to businesses and non-profit organizations impacted by the threat or realization of tariffs and significantly expand the potential application of the Program to businesses, non-profit organizations and employees who would not otherwise be eligible.
To summarize, the special measures make the following changes to the Program:
- Permitting the extension of work-sharing agreements to a maximum total of 76 weeks
- Waiving the requirement of a cooling-off period between successive work-sharing agreements
- Expanding employer eligibility to include:
- businesses that have been operating in Canada for a minimum of one year
- non-profit and charitable organizations that are experiencing a reduction in revenue levels as a direct or indirect result of the tariffs
- seasonal or cyclical employers
- employers that have a decrease in work activity over the past six months of less than 10%
- employers who reduce employees’ hours by more than 60%
- Expanding employee eligibility to include:
- seasonal or cyclical employees
- employees assisting in the employer’s recovery efforts
These special measures have now been extended until March 31, 2027.
Conclusion
Businesses that have been impacted by tariffs may wish to re-evaluate whether to apply for the Program in light of the extension of the special measures.
For questions about the special measures, or for assistance with the preparation of a work-sharing application for your organization, please contact your regular Hicks Morley lawyer or a member of the firm’s Pensions, Benefits and Compensation practice group.
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