Bill to extend maternity benefits to self-employed
Posted By By Jeff Helsdon
Posted 3 months ago
Self-employed Canadians will be able to access maternity, parental, sickness and compassionate care benefits if legislation introduced today passes.
Diane Finley, Haldimand-Norfolk MP and Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, announced the Fairness for Self-Employed Act this morning. The legislation would allow self-employed people to voluntarily opt into some limited parts of the employment insurance program.
"We have a lot of people in the riding who are self-employed," Finley said. "Many of our farmers, for example, are self-employed. We think it's important they don't have to choose between looking after the business or family".
The legislation would allow self-employed mothers to claim 15 weeks of maternity benefits. As is the case with the general public, either parent will then be able to collect 35 weeks of parental benefits. Six weeks of compassionate care leave and 15 weeks of sickness leave will be available to any self-employed person who pays into employment insurance.
Finley said self-employed people come into her Simcoe office all the time with little or no income protection to deal with major life events such as giving birth, being seriously sick or caring for a gravely ill family member.
"Our government is now providing these people with greater peace of mind with respect to their future financial security," she said.
Shane Curtis, president of the Tillsonburg District Chamber of Commerce, liked the concept.
"I think it's a fantastic thing from a couple different perspectives," he said. "It promotes women to be in business and to be self-employed."
With the security of knowing they have maternity and parental benefits available, Curtis believes it will help women make the decision if they are going to start their own business or wait until they are done having children. He also said it will promote self-employed women to have children.
"We think that is fair when women that are not self-employed are getting benefits, it's only fair to have women in business get the same benefits as women who are employed by business," Curtis said, adding if a female business owner is going to be away from her business than she will have to pay someone to replace her.
The legislation is proposing to make it optional for the self-employed to pay into employment insurance. Contributions must be made for 12 months before a claim can be made. Opting out if no claim is made after a number of years will be an option. If a claim is made, payments to employment insurance must continue for as long as the person is self-employed.
It was originally a Conservative election promise to extend maternal and paternal benefits to Canada's 2.6 million self-employed. Finley said it was a more recent decision to add sickness and compassionate care benefits. The change would not allow a self-employed person to draw benefits if they became unemployed.
The legislation also contains a provision for self-employed people who have regular jobs to opt in.
