The federal government recently announced a new set of economic
measures to help stabilize the economy during the COVID-19
pandemic. Outlined below are new measures implemented by the
federal government, along with expanded existing programs, that are
designed to assist Canadians individuals facing financial
challenges during the pandemic.
Changes to Employment Insurance ("EI")
The EI sickness benefit is 55% of an employee's earnings, up
to a maximum of $573 per week. The one-week waiting period for EI
sickness benefits will be waived if individuals are quarantined and
as a result, they are able to be paid for the first week of their
claim. If an individual cannot complete the claim due to
quarantine, the claim can be backdated to cover the period of
delay. Priority will be given during application processing for
those under quarantine and a medical certificate confirming
sickness is not required. The waiver of the medical
certificate requirement is in effect until
