Employment Insurance
Federal government: parents who commit to adopt children in their care are eligible for EI parental benefits
The federal government announced yesterday that parents who commit to adopt children in their care will be able to get Employment Insurance (EI) parental benefits.
The government's news release also stated:
- In recognition that adoption programs vary by province and territory, the federal government will now allow parents to be eligible for EI parental benefits as soon as they have taken the necessary steps to adopt the child in their care. This change brings the EI program in line with current adoption procedures.
- Parental benefits under the EI program are provided to parents who qualify to take time away from work to bond with their newborn or newly adopted child or children. A maximum of 35 weeks of parental benefits is available to biological or adoptive parents.
This is the text of the accompanying "Backgrounder":
ENHANCED FLEXIBILITY FOR EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE (EI) PARENTAL BENEFITS WHEN ADOPTING
Adoption and Employment Insurance parental benefits read more »
Harper commits Conservatives to tax break for EI premiums; Ignatieff promises CPP measures from Liberals
Work related issues have been front and centre of the federal election campaign the last two days. Yesterday, Stephen Harper committed the Conservatives to a tax break for Employment Insurance premiums. Today, Michael Ignatieff promised three different measures by the Liberals to improve the Canada Pension Plan.
Specifically, the March 29, 2011 announcement ("Harper Announces Hiring Credit for Small Business") on the Conservatives' website stated that: read more »
Part-time babysitter was self-employed contractor, not employee, EI and CPP assessments overturned
In Iarutina v. M.N.R., 2011 TCC 114, the Tax Court of Canada ruled that a part-time babysitter was a self-employed contractor, not an employee, and thus the Employment Insurance (EI) and Canada Pension Plan ("CPP") assessments made against the alleged employer should be "vacated" or overturned.
Notably, the court took the intentions of the parties into consideration in making this determination, stating: read more »
EI premiums for 2011 will be limited to 5 cents per $100 of insurable earnings, and 10 cents for subsequent years
The federal government announced today that Employment Insurance ("EI") premiums for 2011 will be limited to 5 cents per $100 of insurable earnings and 10 cents for subsequent years.
The government's new release further states:
The Canada Employment Insurance Financing Board (CEIFB) is required to
set the rate by November 14, 2010. Without today’s limit in place, the
CEIFB would have raised premiums by the full legislative limit of 15
cents. Under the new limit, the employee rate per $100 of insurable
earnings can rise to no higher than $1.78, starting January 1, 2011.
Employers contribute 1.4 times the employee’s premiums. The rate is
different in Quebec than in the rest of Canada because Quebec has
assumed responsibility for maternity and parental benefits.
667,400 people received regular Employment Insurance benefits in Canada in April 2010
Statistics Canada released the April 2010 employment insurance figures today, which include the following: read more »
Canada gains 108,700 jobs in April; national unemployment rate decreases to 8.1%
The April employment numbers have been tabulated by Statistics Canada and reveal the following: read more »
