Study finds women shut out of Employment Insurance

A study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has found that the existing rules mean far fewer women qualify for EI compared with men. The problem is rooted in the failure of the EI program to recognize that women’s family responsibilities mean they have different patterns of paid work than men.

“Essentially, two in every three working women who pay into EI don’t receive a single penny in benefits if they lose their jobs,” says CCPA Research Associate Monica Townson, who co-authored Women and The Employment Insurance Program with Kevin Hayes.

To address the problem, the study recommends the federal government make 360 hours the new magic number for qualifying for EI. Workers could qualify for benefits if they work 360 hours within 12 months or if they averaged 360 hours a year in three of the five years before they apply for EI. The new 360-hour rule would apply to workers seeking all categories of benefits: regular, work-sharing, maternity, parental, sickness, compassionate care and training.

CEIU National President Jeannette backed the call for reform. “Many of our members work with the unemployed and know first-hand how the current rules affect women” she said, “and these rules have to change. All women at Service Canada—clients and those who work there–deserve fair treatment.”