The Bloc presents a bill to reform employment insurance

POLICY. The MP for Drummond, Martin Champoux, announced in a press release that the Bloc Québécois tabled an ambitious reform in the House this Tuesday that would bring substantial improvements to the current and outdated employment insurance law.

Considering it very comprehensive and adapted to current realities, the Bloc’s bill proposes several measures improving the scope and extent of employment insurance coverage in order to better protect workers.

“The Bloc Québécois has been hot on the heels of the Liberal government for a long time so that it can take action and carry out the overhaul of employment insurance that it has been promising since 2015. The workers have waited long enough and the Bloc is at their side to put pressure on Ottawa. Today, it is a solid reform project that we are tabling, well aligned with current realities and which would much better protect a greater number of workers,” explained MP Champoux in the press release.

The culmination of a tour in 2022 and several committee studies, this bill would notably increase the benefit rate on insurable earnings from 55 to 60% and increase the number of weeks of special benefits from 26 to 50 in the event of disease. The reform proposed by the Bloc also presents several innovative aspects, including access to regular employment insurance benefits for people forced to leave their jobs due to domestic violence or because of family responsibilities, or even people returning to school. The Bloc Québécois will support this bill in the coming months, as well as in its proposals as part of a future campaign.

“The current system is outdated and must be completely overhauled, and this is the meaning of our proposal. It must be remembered: 60% of workers contributing to the plan who lose their jobs will not have access to the employment insurance program. This is unacceptable. Employment insurance coverage must be extended to the greatest number of workers who need it: it is a question of fairness. Our reform project therefore corrects several important shortcomings; We invite the Liberal government to also be on the side of the workers by putting forward our proposals,” concluded Martin Champoux.

Highlights of the Employment Insurance Reform Bill:

1. Single hybrid criterion of 420 hours or 12 weeks of 14 hours;
2. Increase in the current benefit rate from 55% to 60%, based on the best 12 weeks of salary;
3. Increase in insurable income to 140% of annualized average weekly salary;
4. Increase to 35 weeks in the minimum duration of benefits;
5. Increase from 26 to 50 weeks in special sickness benefits;
6. Extension of the duration of the reference period for special benefits;
7. End of exclusion from regular employment insurance benefits for people leaving their job due to:
   1. Domestic violence;
   2. Return to studies or family responsibilities.