Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

EI for the Self Employed

From CBC.ca...."The federal government on Tuesday will introduce legislation that would allow the self-employed to opt into the employment insurance plan and collect parental leave benefits.A senior government official told CBC news that once the legislation is passed, anyone wanting to opt in would have to pay regular EI premiums for a year before taking a leave.Once a self-employed person has accessed EI, they would have to continue paying premiums for as long as they are self-employed."
Would impact will this have on Agriculture in Canada if any?

Views: 107

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Joann on November 3, 2009 at 6:03am
"That means everyone from small business owners to farmers can now access maternity leave, parental and adoptive benefits, and sickness and compassionate care benefits for the first time, though they will not get EI's regular weekly income replacement should they become unemployed."
http://www.thestar.com/business/article/720351---special-ei-benefit...

Smoke and mirrors.

People can start to pay the premiums but can't access it for a year with limitations.

I can't see it being a huge benefit for farm families considering the impact of farm income splitting.
Permalink Reply by Wayne Black on November 3, 2009 at 7:50am
It "looks" great but as a farmer and insurance programs - we tend to carry some of the risk ourselves. As someone who has already gone through the process of having children with no Mat leave or benefits, and watching friends enjoy the privilege, I would have enjoyed having it but after reading some of the details - question it.
For example - on the surface going back 7 years, I would sign up immediately. After getting married, having 3 children (and kept working since I live in my workplace), I would see about opting out after having children. BUT....
in an email just received on this issue: "You can opt out only if you have never claimed a benefit - if any benefit is claimed you need to pay premium as long as you remain self-employed "
So some farmers continue until they... you know when. Paying premiums for 50 years for a 16 week stint for children? Also - the premium will have to be adjusted in order to compensate for the lack of "Income Loss" compensation.
I can not see many farmers signing up for this program once they read the details. Most likely one spouse may receive some benefits through their off-farm workplace. Also - once some of these farms are set up as a corporate operation - it may not be any different than working for Volvo than working for "Blackmega Dairy" owned by your parents.

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

North American Agriculture Leaders Back USMCA and Long-Term Trade Stability

Agriculture leaders from across North America have renewed their commitment to maintaining predictable trade rules and strengthening cooperation on animal health, plant protection and rural development.

BASF Appoints Leta LaRush to Lead U.S. Ag Business Amid Major Restructuring

BASF Agricultural Solutions has unveiled a new organizational structure aimed at improving customer responsiveness and supporting its transition toward operating as an independent business.

Canada's Productivity Mega Deduction Could Fuel New Farm and Ag-Tech Investment

The federal government says its new Productivity Mega Deduction represents one of the most significant tax changes in decades, expanding immediate write-offs for business investments.

Agtech innovators to share validation insights at Agriculture Enlightened 2026

Testing and validating new technologies is an essential part of scaling an agtech business. This work being done at EMILI’s Innovation Farms and AIVA Network’s Validation Hubs helps innovators commercialize their products and increases the adoption of their solutions.  During Agriculture Enlightened, Canada’s Agtech Conference, hear from Marcel Kringe, founder and CEO of BranValt, and Katie Friesen, founder and CEO of FarmerTitan, about their experience validating their technologies through the AIVA Network this season. The pair will be joined by Peter Frey, CEO of Spade Technologies, and Darren Anderson, CEO of Vive Crop Protection for a discussion around what they have learned through the validation process in this panel moderated by Chelsea Platzke, board chair of BioTalent.  Marcel Kringe grew up on a family farm in Germany, where he pursued an ag engineering degree. Work and travel studies in Canada, Russia and Brazil led him to move to Canada. He learned English on the go while

Selling grain to an unlicensed buyer: Approval and sampling requirements

Before selling grain to an unlicensed buyer, producers with AFSC production insurance should understand the requirements that apply and the steps they need to take to protect their coverage. Agriculture Financial Services (AFSC) defines a licensed buyer as a grain buyer licensed by the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) as either a primary elevator or terminal elevator. AFSC only accepts receipted grades on sales from buyers holding one of these licence types. The Commission offers several classes of licences, each with different requirements. Primary and terminal elevator are the only licence classes required to sample grain upon receipt and resolve grade and dockage issues through the CGC. If grain is sold to a grain dealer, private buyer or process elevator before a post-harvest inspection is completed, AFSC may use the client’s samples. However, clients must contact their preferred branch office before moving any grain and obtain approval to collect samples for grading purposes. I

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service