Evidence of meeting #114 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was child.
A video is available from Parliament.
9:40 a.m.
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy Directorate, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
That's right. If they are not eligible for maternity benefits, parental benefits will end in the week that the child dies.
9:40 a.m.
Conservative
Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
I know the increase from three days to five days in bereavement leave was mentioned and touched on. To follow up again with what Mr. Ruimy said.... No, that was sickness.
Would there be a gap for bereavement? The child dies and their benefits are cut off, and then they are in bereavement. What's the process for that? What is the process to receive bereavement, if you qualify? What would the gap be?
9:40 a.m.
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy Directorate, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
In terms of bereavement, I know that Rutha mentioned new bereavement leave that's available under the Canada Labour Code. I'm not able to speak to exactly what the process is to access it.
An important thing to recognize with the Canada Labour Code is that it applies to the federal jurisdiction, which is only roughly 6% of workers across the country. In many cases, it would really be what the provincial and territorial employment standards are that determine eligibility for leave or other supports in that province or territory.
9:40 a.m.
Conservative
Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Are you able to speak to.... If 6% of people in the workforce qualify for that, is the rest up to the private sector, then?
9:40 a.m.
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy Directorate, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
That 6%.... That's why I'm referring to these new bereavement leave provisions. In terms of the EI sickness benefit, that is something that is national in scope, so it applies to all the people who are contributing to the EI program. In the event that they seek sickness benefits, that's something that's open to all.
I think that in many cases it will depend on the employer, but some people will have coverage of various kinds from their employer—
9:40 a.m.
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy Directorate, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
—which may, in fact, be more generous than the EI program.
9:40 a.m.
Conservative
Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Following up again on Mr. Ruimy's question on sickness, some communities struggle with doctors. In my community, I know that it is very common to sometimes wait six weeks for a doctor's appointment. If we're telling parents who have just lost a child that they need a doctor's note in order to prove that they are unable to go back to work and that they need it to access sickness leave, is it a little unacceptable to have a delay of up to six weeks or a gap of that length in accessing benefits?
9:40 a.m.
Director, Employment Insurance Policy, Special Benefits Policy, Department of Employment and Social Development
In terms of the EI sickness benefit, medical doctors, specialists, nurse practitioners, psychologists practising in their field and some other eligible medical professions—it's clarified on our website and in our rules—are able to sign the medical certificate.
9:40 a.m.
Conservative
Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
I understand that, but I'm just thinking of rural and remote northern communities where that is difficult. Even practising in my former line of work, we did a lot of video and teleconferencing with people living up north because there's nobody there.
I feel that it is unacceptable to have to wait and have a gap in the benefits, especially when there are bills that need to be paid and you are grieving.
9:40 a.m.
Director, Employment Insurance Policy, Special Benefits Policy, Department of Employment and Social Development
I understand about the challenges in the health care system and access to it in rural and remote communities. It's also something we heard during our consultations on EI benefits previously. That's part of the reason that we made the change to allow medical certificates for the caregiving benefits to be signed by a nurse practitioner or a medical doctor.
In terms of access to EI sickness benefits, we always counsel claimants or prospective claimants to contact Service Canada as soon as possible, because under some circumstances Service Canada may provide more information on whether there's the possibility to backdate the circumstance or whatnot.
However, you always need a medical note. Again, it's about the medical note.
9:45 a.m.
Conservative
Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Okay. Thank you.
Do I have time for one quick question?
9:45 a.m.
Conservative
Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
I know that when my colleague Mr. Richards asked a question, Mr. Brown, you said that if there's a will, there's a way. Regarding automatic enrolment when we have a death at whatever life stage we're at, is there a way that we can just have that added to the forms, even though health care is provincial, so that it is automatically done by doctors or practitioners? Could there just be a box that is checked, so the family that is grieving and going through the loss doesn't have to deal with that?
9:45 a.m.
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy Directorate, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
I think that there will always be obligations on us, even in tragic circumstances, so I don't know that it's possible to eliminate that entirely. I do think it would be possible to simplify the reporting of a death, but I have some notes of caution. We have seen a situation in the last year—you know I'm going beyond my department here—of Canada Revenue Agency improperly believing a person to be dead, which resulted in terrible consequences to that person. We would have to be extremely careful in this respect as well to make sure that the automatic reporting of the death of a child didn't have improper consequences on other people.
I just want to say that a lot of work is required to be able to do things in an automated fashion. This is also something that would involve not just the federal government, but also the provincial and territorial governments that would be receiving that information.
9:45 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bryan May
We're really short on time, but I'm going to allow Madame Sansoucy a very brief question and answer.
9:45 a.m.
NDP
Brigitte Sansoucy NDP Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
You said that employment insurance wasn't the only way to help people. In Quebec, there are several organizations that defend the rights of the unemployed. I also mentioned the organization Les Amis du crépuscule, which helps bereaved people. We know that these organizations are underfunded. Unemployed workers' rights organizations, for example, only work on issues related to the Employment Insurance Act and they are not adequately funded by the Government of Quebec, as only a small section deals with workers' rights organizations.
As part of this study, could we consider providing funding to those organizations that support the work of Service Canada by explaining to people how to find their way through all these special and regular benefit programs? Is this an avenue that is being explored?
9:45 a.m.
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy Directorate, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
I'm not aware of our department having explored that sort of additional support to people in the sense of compassion and being able to provide them with assistance at a time of grief. My reaction is one of some potential concern with regard to federal responsibility versus provincial responsibility. As you are certainly aware, with respect to all provinces, often with respect to Quebec in particular, there can be concern about what may be seen as either a federal or provincial—
9:45 a.m.
NDP
Brigitte Sansoucy NDP Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
There are programs. For example, Status of Women Canada funds organizations that help women in Quebec. There may be special programs under an agreement with the government, especially in the case of organizations whose mission is linked to federal legislation.
9:45 a.m.
Director General, Employment Insurance Policy Directorate, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
Yes. I fully agree that this is a possibility.
9:45 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bryan May
Thank you very much.
I want to thank both of you for being here this morning on this incredibly challenging issue.
We will suspend for literally one minute, so don't go too far. We'll bring the next witness panel in.
Thank you very much.
9:50 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bryan May
Welcome back. We are now joined by the member of Parliament from Banff—Airdrie, Blake Richards. Welcome, sir.
I'm very pleased to have with us today, from Quinn's Legacy Run Society, Lee Cormier, Chair, and Sarah Cormier, Vice-Chair. Welcome to both of you, and thank you for being here to share your story.
We're going to start with Mr. Richards, for seven minutes.