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Jan.23,2005 -Jan.30,2005 |
Helping Families of the Seriously Ill
Federal Minister Joe Volpe introduces Employment Insurance Compassionate Care
By Niccolò Marras
Originally Published: 2004-01-18
Federal minister of Human Resources Joe Volpe announced last week, during a press conference at the Baycrest Centre, that Ottawa will earmark $1.5 billion for workers assisting family members severely or terminally ill.
The fund is called Employment Insurance Compassionate Care Benefit, and will be accessible to employees or self-employed workers upon request.
Who's entitled to it? Anyone with close relatives in need of assistance: parents, spouses or common-law partners, children, a parent's spouse or common-law partner, or children of a spouse or common-law partner.
Employees can take up to six weeks of leave, on condition that the severity of the illness manifests itself within 26 weeks.
The severity of the illness must be certified by a physician. In order to be eligible, employees must have contributed for at least 600 hours, while self-employed workers must show they generated revenues of at least $3,760.
The benefit can also be obtained for family members living abroad.
The Compassionate Care benefit can be shared among different members of the family, even at the same time (e.g. by two people taking three weeks each). There is a waiting period of two weeks.
Employees taking the leave get paid by the fund and maintain their jobs.
The Feds will be even more generous with their employees. These will get up to eight weeks and also conserve their jobs and their positions. They will not be fired, suspended, transferred, or demoted, nor disciplined.
Some of the provinces have already adopted similar provisions. Ontario last year introduced 10 days of "protected", although unpaid, leave of absence.
Canadian industries complained that such absences have caused losses for $2.4 billion.
Compassionate Care was prepared by Jean Chrétien's cabinet and included in their budget for 2003. It came in force on January 4.
Talking about the industry's global needs, minister Volpe clarified, "This is just the beginning. It's not the roof: it's the foundation over which we will build something important, belonging to our open culture. A Canadian citizen should not be forced to choose between a job and assisting loved ones in particularly difficult moments.
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