Vol. 145, No. 23 — November 9, 2011

Registration

SOR/2011-229 October 21, 2011

EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ACT

Regulations Amending the Employment Insurance Regulations

P.C. 2011-1234 October 20, 2011

RESOLUTION

The Canada Employment Insurance Commission, pursuant to sections 54 (see footnote a), 69 (see footnote b) and 152.33 (see footnote c) of the Employment Insurance Act (see footnote d), hereby makes the annexed Regulations Amending the Employment Insurance Regulations.

September 16, 2011

IAN SHUGART
Chairperson
Canada Employment Insurance Commission
PATRICIA BLACKSTAFFE
Commissioner (Workers)
Canada Employment Insurance Commission
JUDITH ANDREW
Commissioner (Employers)
Canada Employment Insurance Commission

His Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, pursuant to sections 54 (see footnote e), 69 (see footnote f) and 152.33 (see footnote g) of the Employment Insurance Act (see footnote h), hereby approves the annexed Regulations Amending the Employment Insurance Regulations, made by the Canada Employment Insurance Commission.

REGULATIONS AMENDING THE EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE REGULATIONS

AMENDMENTS

1. Subparagraph 26.1(2)(d)(i) of the English version of the Employment Insurance Regulations (see footnote 1) is replaced by the following:

1. (i) to the best of the claimant’s knowledge at the time of completing the form, there are no conditions of entitlement to benefits that will not be met for each week in the period of eligibility, except in respect of earnings that may be deducted under section 19, 22, 23 or 23.1 of the Act during that period,

2. (1) Paragraph 41.2(a) of the French version of the Regulations is replaced by the following:

• a) si le membre de la famille requérant des soins ou du soutien réside dans une région au Canada où un traitement fourni par un médecin n’est pas promptement disponible, un spécialiste de la santé désigné par un médecin pour le soigner;
  

(2) Paragraph 41.2(b) of the Regulations is replaced by the following:

• (b) if the family member in need of care or support is outside Canada, a medical doctor who is recognized by the appropriate governmental authority of the family member’s country and has qualifications that are substantially similar to those of a medical doctor in Canada or, if the family member in need of care or support is in a geographic location outside Canada where treatment by a medical doctor is not readily available, a medical practitioner designated by a medical doctor to provide treatment to the family member.
  

3. (1) Section 55 of the Regulations is amended by adding the following after subsection (1):

(1.1) Only the periods set out in paragraphs (1)(b) and (d) may be cumulated during a single trip outside Canada, and only if the member of the claimant’s immediate family whom the claimant visits under paragraph (1)(d) is the person whose funeral the claimant attends under paragraph (1)(b).

(2) The portion of subsection 55(2) of the Regulations before paragraph (a) is replaced by the following:

(2) For the purposes of subsections (1) and (1.1), the following persons are considered to be members of the claimant’s immediate family:

4. (1) Section 55.01 of the Regulations is amended by adding the following after subsection (1):

(1.1) Only the periods set out in paragraphs (1)(b) and (d) may be cumulated during a single trip outside Canada, and only if the member of the self-employed person’s immediate family whom the self-employed person visits under paragraph (1)(d) is the person whose funeral the self-employed person attends under paragraph (1)(b).

(2) The portion of subsection 55.01(2) of the Regulations before paragraph (a) is replaced by the following:

(2) For the purposes of subsections (1) and (1.1), the following persons are considered to be members of the self-employed person’s immediate family:

5. Subparagraphs 76.06(1)(b)(i) and (ii) of the French version of the Regulations are replaced by the following:

1. (i) le résultat obtenu par la division du montant total estimatif des prestations qui seront versées, au cours de l’année, en vertu des articles 22, 23, 152.04 et 152.05 de la Loi à tous les prestataires qui sont couverts par un régime provincial ou par un autre régime semblable établi en vertu d’une loi provinciale par la somme du montant total estimatif des rémunérations assurables au cours de la même année multiplié par 2,4 et du montant estimatif, pour la même année, des rémunérations provenant du travail exécuté, pour leur propre compte, par des travailleurs indépendants qui ont conclu — ou concluront au cours de la même année — un accord en vertu de l’article 152.02 de la Loi, lequel montant tient compte du maximum de la rémunération annuelle assurable calculée en application de l’article 4 de la Loi pour la même année, pour toutes les personnes qui sont couvertes par un tel régime,
   
2. (ii) le résultat obtenu par la division du montant total estimatif des frais administratifs variables qui seront supportés, au cours de l’année, pour le versement des prestations prévues aux articles 22, 23, 152.04 et 152.05 de la Loi à tous les prestataires qui sont couverts par un régime provincial ou par un autre régime semblable établi en vertu d’une loi provinciale par la somme du montant total estimatif des rémunérations assurables au cours de la même année multiplié par 2,4 et le montant estimatif, pour la même année, des rémunérations provenant du travail exécuté, pour leur propre compte, par des travailleurs indépendants qui ont conclu — ou concluront au cours de la même année — un accord en vertu de l’article 152.02 de la Loi, lequel montant tient compte du maximum de la rémunération annuelle assurable calculée en application de l’article 4 de la Loi pour la même année, pour toutes les personnes qui sont couvertes par un tel régime.

COMING INTO FORCE

6. These Regulations come into force on the day on which they are registered.

REGULATORY IMPACT ANALYSIS STATEMENT

(This statement is not part of the Regulations.)

Issue and objectives

The Employment Insurance Act (EI Act) prevents the payment of regular or sickness benefits to claimants who are not in Canada, but allows for exceptions through subsections 55(1) and 55.01(1) of the Employment Insurance Regulations (EI Regulations). These exceptions allow for short absences from Canada to receive medical treatment not readily available in the claimant’s area of residence in Canada, accompany an immediate family member for medical treatment not readily available in the family member’s area of residence in Canada, visit a seriously ill immediate family member, attend a funeral of a family member, attend a job interview, or conduct a bona fide job search.

Prior to 2008, the exceptions in subsections 55(1) and 55.01(1) could not be combined to extend the duration of the acceptable absence. The wording of the subsection was interpreted to mean that the exceptions were to be exclusive and not to be combined.

However, on June 19, 2008, a Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) decision (Walsh, 2008 FCA 220) allowed the claimant’s appeal by finding that she was not disentitled from receiving benefits during the 14 days that she was absent from Canada (the first 7 days to visit a seriously ill immediate family member, and another 7 days to attend their funeral). The Court allowed the combination specifically noting that, had the claimant returned to Canada in between the two events, she would have been entitled to the second exception and that it was unreasonable, given the circumstances, to expect the claimant to return to Canada between the two events.

Given this interpretation of the Regulations by the Court, the objective of this amendment is to clarify the circumstances under which claimants can continue to receive employment insurance (EI) benefits while outside Canada and allow the specific combination of visiting a seriously ill immediate family member and attending the funeral of that same family member.

Additionally, technical amendments are made to a number of EI Regulations to ensure that the English and French text is legally equivalent.

Description and rationale

Subsections 55(1) and 55.01(1) of the EI Regulations has been amended to conform to the jurisprudence in Walsh, to allow for a combination of exceptions in the case where a claimant is absent from Canada to visit a sick relative and then attend the funeral of the same relative.

This amendment clarifies that the other exceptions cannot be combined and rectifies any ambiguity in the interpretation of the Regulations.

Given jurisprudence in Walsh, the outside Canada provisions in subsections 55(1) and 55.01(1) are already being administered to allow this specific combination of exceptions. As a result, the amended regulation will have no impact on EI claimants. Further, the regulatory amendment does not provide claimants with any additional entitlement to benefits and does not represent any additional administrative cost.

Additionally, technical amendments have also been made to correct discrepancies between the English and French wording of several sections of the EI Regulations. These corrections have no impact on the purpose or effect of the Regulations, and there are no funding implications. The purpose of these amendments is to ensure that the English and French text is legally equivalent.

Consultation

The regulatory amendments to subsections 55(1) and 55.01(1) have been put in place to conform to jurisprudence, and the incidental amendments are technical in nature and do not represent an expenditure of new funds. Consequently, consultations with external stakeholders were not required.

The Canada Employment Insurance Commission, which includes a representative for workers and a representative for employers, has approved the regulatory amendments.

Implementation, enforcement and service standards

These amendments do not change existing service standards. Standard investigation and control measures will apply to ensure EI program integrity and enforcement of these Regulations. The Department’s existing compliance mechanisms will ensure that the provisions contained in the Regulations are properly implemented.

Contact

Michael Duffy
Director
Legislative and Regulatory Policy Design
Skills and Employment Branch
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
140 Promenade du Portage, 5th Floor
Gatineau, Quebec
K1A 0J9
Telephone: 819-997-5034
Fax: 819-934-6631

Footnote a
S.C. 2009, c. 33, s. 9

Footnote b
S.C. 2009, c. 33, s. 10

Footnote c
S.C. 2009, c. 33, s. 16

Footnote d
S.C. 1996, c. 23

Footnote e
S.C. 2009, c. 33, s. 9

Footnote f
S.C. 2009, c. 33, s. 10

Footnote g
S.C. 2009, c. 33, s. 16

Footnote h
S.C. 1996, c. 23

Footnote 1
SOR/96-332