The Government of Yukon is seeking input from families and employers on recent changes to federal employment insurance benefits for parental leave and leaves for family caregiving purposes. The public is asked for their feedback on whether to align leave allotments available within Yukon's Employment Standards Act with these changes.
Yukon, as with most other jurisdictions, typically provides leave periods that align with the benefits provided under Canada’s Employment Insurance program. Without changes to current legislation, Yukon employees will not be able to fully access these federal employment insurance benefits.
To view proposed changes to Yukon’s Employment Standards Act visit www.EngageYukon.ca. Written feedback on potential changes can be submitted in writing by October 6, 2018, to:
Yukon Employment Standards
P.O. Box 2703 C-7, Whitehorse, YT Y1A 2C6
or to employment.standards@gov.yk.ca
It is important for us to know whether these potential changes to employee leave benefits meet peoples’ needs at all stages of their lives and support the well-being of Yukoners, while balancing the potential impacts for Yukon businesses.
Minister of Community Services John Streicker
The federal government has already, or is in the process of changing, the following Employment Insurance benefits for families and individuals:
- Extended Parental Benefits – The Standard Parental Benefits program provides 55 per cent of weekly earnings over a 35-week period. The new Extended Parental Benefits option allows parents to receive the same amount of benefits over an extended period of 61 weeks at a rate of 33 per cent of weekly earnings.
- Parental Sharing Benefit – Starting in June 2019, a new Parental Sharing Benefit will allow an additional five weeks of leave for parents, including adoptive and same-sex couples, who agree to share the parental leave. As long as the second parent takes a minimum of five weeks, parents accessing the Standard Parental Benefit can use any combination of sharing. For those parents accessing the Extended Parental Benefits program, the Parental Sharing Benefit is an additional eight weeks.
- Family Care Benefit for Adults – The new Family Care Benefit for Adults provides 15 weeks of financial assistance for eligible persons to provide care or support for an adult family member who is critically ill or injured.
- Compassionate Care – The Compassionate Care benefits paid to people who provide care or support for a family member who is gravely ill and who has a significant risk of death, have been increased from six to 26 weeks.
- Family Caregiver Benefit for Children – The Family Caregiver Benefit for Children program allows persons caring for a terminally ill child to now use the 35 weeks of benefits intermittently over a 52-week period.
Janine Workman
Cabinet Communications
867-393-7449
janine.workman@gov.yk.ca
Bonnie Venton Ross
Communications, Community Services
867-332-5513
bonnie.ventonross@gov.yk.ca