OTTAWA – Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough says any change to modernize the EI system will not come without considering the financial impact on workers and employers.
She also says the government will need to act carefully so that tweaks to part of the decades-old system don’t cause a cascade of problems.
The shortcomings in Employment Insurance, pointed out for years by experts, have been exposed by the pandemic, including the fact that not all workers are covered and that not all eligible people can receive benefits when either. ‘they need it.
Temporary changes to facilitate access and set a minimum weekly benefit rate of $ 500 and measures to speed up processing times were put in place last September for one year.
The minister says the government will unveil its vision and plan for a modernized EI system, including how to approach the changes coming due in September.
She also hints that some of those details could be included in Monday’s federal budget.
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