In August of this year, the Government of Canada announced a suite of tariff related support for Canadian businesses and workers.[1] The announced new and extended Employment Insurance (“EI”) measures are now in force.[2]
Extended measures
- The one-week EI benefit waiting period will be waived for an additional year, to October 9, 2027.
- A worker’s “separation earnings” (g., severance pay, pay in lieu of notice) will not be deducted from EI benefits for an additional year, to October 9, 2027.
- The availability of an extra 20 weeks of EI benefits for a long-tenured worker will be extended by eight months, to June 12, 2027.
New measure re employee who voluntarily left previous job
Generally (with some exceptions), an employee who voluntarily leaves a job is not entitled to use the insurable hours they earned at that job to establish a claim for EI benefits. Once the employee obtains a new job, they must re-qualify for EI benefits by obtaining enough insurable hours in their new employment.
Now, an employee does not lose their previously earned insurable hours, if a subsequent job loss is through no fault of their own (e.g., a shortage of work), and the claim is for a benefit period that begins between October 11, 2026 and October 9, 2027.
The information contained in this article is provided for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal or other professional advice, nor does accessing this information create a lawyer-client relationship. This article is current as of October 2026 and applies only to Ontario, Canada, or such other laws of Canada as expressly indicated. Information about the law is checked for legal accuracy as at the date the presentation/article is prepared but may become outdated as laws or policies change. For clarification or for legal or other professional assistance please contact Sherrard Kuzz LLP.
[1] See our August 2026 briefing note for more information: Canada Responds to Massive U.S. Tariffs ~ Support Available for Canadian Businesses.
[2] Regulations Amending the Employment Insurance Regulations (Pilot Project No. 25): SOR/2026-203.