Dozens of House of Commons employees risk getting hit hard by their own government’s changes to Canada’s employment insurance rules, iPolitics has learned.
From waiters in the parliamentary restaurant to the people who transcribe parliamentary debates and committee meetings for Hansard, dozens of House of Commons employees are quietly laid off every time Parliament takes a protracted break. While some manage to find alternate jobs until parliamentarians return, many others count on EI to make ends meet over the summer months or during the six week long Christmas break.
The practice has gone on for years.
However, when changes to the government’s employment insurance system go into effect early next year, those who collect EI when Parliament lays them off risk being labeled frequent claimants under the new rules. From the start of each EI claim, they could be required to expand their job search to jobs similar to their normal jobs and accept wages starting at 80 per cent of their previous hourly wage.
“After receiving benefits for seven weeks, they would be required to accept any work they are qualified to perform… and to accept wages starting at 70 per cent of their previous hourly wage,” reads the government’s explanation.
Parliament rises for about 10 weeks in the summer and about six weeks over Christmas. If Parliament is prorogued or there is a general election, employees can spend even more time laid off.
Alyson Queen, spokeswoman for Human Resources and Skills Development Minister Diane Finley said there are no plans to exempt House of Commons employees from the new employment insurance rules.
“The changes will apply to all Canadians,” she said, adding that the circumstances of each EI claimant are taken into account.
Doug Marshall, president of the Union of National Employees, which represents an estimated 675 employees on Parliament Hill, says the new measures will penalize many of his members.
“If there are going to be penalties for seasonal workers and the requirements are going to become more restrictive, they will not be able to get the same level of benefits that they were currently.”
He said the practice dates back to the days before employees on Parliament Hill were unionized.
“Before unionization that’s how it worked. They had people during sessions and at the end they just tossed them out.”
In some respects the EI system subsidizes the House of Commons operating costs, he said.
However, Marshall said employees have stayed over the years because it is a special job and an interesting place to work.
Speaker Andrew Scheer appeared unaware of the situation during a recent interview with iPolitics and could not provide an explanation of why the House of Commons routinely lays off so many of its employees.
Scheer chairs the Board of Internal Economy which oversees the operations of the House of Commons and sets its policies.
Rodger Cuzner, Liberal human resources critic as well as a former member of the Board of Internal Economy, said Parliament only sits about 28 weeks a year, meaning many Hill employees are in a similar situation as seasonal employees.
“Absolutely, the workers here on the Hill will feel it and the unfortunate part is that some who have been here for many years, experienced staff and employees will be faced with the reality of diminishing wages or diminishing EI benefits or having to relocate or find other work.”
“I understand that there are some who take accrued time, some who have banked time but there are a great number … who go on unemployment so they’ll feel the impact of these changes.”
Among the measures Parliament should examine is keeping the Parliamentary Restaurant open year round so that staff doesn’t have to be laid off, he said.
NDP Human Resources Critic Charlton, another former member of the Board of Internal Economy, said the practice of laying off employees when Parliament rises was never discussed during her time on the board.
“Presumably the House of Commons employees would be regularly laid off, in essence they’re seasonal workers,” Charlton said. “I hadn’t thought about it but yes, these changes would target them as well.”
Charlton said the move could result in House of Commons employees eventually receiving lower EI benefits and possibly even lower salaries in the future.
“It will certainly make it difficult for retention.”
Original Article
Source: ipolitics
Author: Elizabeth Thompson
From waiters in the parliamentary restaurant to the people who transcribe parliamentary debates and committee meetings for Hansard, dozens of House of Commons employees are quietly laid off every time Parliament takes a protracted break. While some manage to find alternate jobs until parliamentarians return, many others count on EI to make ends meet over the summer months or during the six week long Christmas break.
The practice has gone on for years.
However, when changes to the government’s employment insurance system go into effect early next year, those who collect EI when Parliament lays them off risk being labeled frequent claimants under the new rules. From the start of each EI claim, they could be required to expand their job search to jobs similar to their normal jobs and accept wages starting at 80 per cent of their previous hourly wage.
“After receiving benefits for seven weeks, they would be required to accept any work they are qualified to perform… and to accept wages starting at 70 per cent of their previous hourly wage,” reads the government’s explanation.
Parliament rises for about 10 weeks in the summer and about six weeks over Christmas. If Parliament is prorogued or there is a general election, employees can spend even more time laid off.
Alyson Queen, spokeswoman for Human Resources and Skills Development Minister Diane Finley said there are no plans to exempt House of Commons employees from the new employment insurance rules.
“The changes will apply to all Canadians,” she said, adding that the circumstances of each EI claimant are taken into account.
Doug Marshall, president of the Union of National Employees, which represents an estimated 675 employees on Parliament Hill, says the new measures will penalize many of his members.
“If there are going to be penalties for seasonal workers and the requirements are going to become more restrictive, they will not be able to get the same level of benefits that they were currently.”
He said the practice dates back to the days before employees on Parliament Hill were unionized.
“Before unionization that’s how it worked. They had people during sessions and at the end they just tossed them out.”
In some respects the EI system subsidizes the House of Commons operating costs, he said.
However, Marshall said employees have stayed over the years because it is a special job and an interesting place to work.
Speaker Andrew Scheer appeared unaware of the situation during a recent interview with iPolitics and could not provide an explanation of why the House of Commons routinely lays off so many of its employees.
Scheer chairs the Board of Internal Economy which oversees the operations of the House of Commons and sets its policies.
Rodger Cuzner, Liberal human resources critic as well as a former member of the Board of Internal Economy, said Parliament only sits about 28 weeks a year, meaning many Hill employees are in a similar situation as seasonal employees.
“Absolutely, the workers here on the Hill will feel it and the unfortunate part is that some who have been here for many years, experienced staff and employees will be faced with the reality of diminishing wages or diminishing EI benefits or having to relocate or find other work.”
“I understand that there are some who take accrued time, some who have banked time but there are a great number … who go on unemployment so they’ll feel the impact of these changes.”
Among the measures Parliament should examine is keeping the Parliamentary Restaurant open year round so that staff doesn’t have to be laid off, he said.
NDP Human Resources Critic Charlton, another former member of the Board of Internal Economy, said the practice of laying off employees when Parliament rises was never discussed during her time on the board.
“Presumably the House of Commons employees would be regularly laid off, in essence they’re seasonal workers,” Charlton said. “I hadn’t thought about it but yes, these changes would target them as well.”
Charlton said the move could result in House of Commons employees eventually receiving lower EI benefits and possibly even lower salaries in the future.
“It will certainly make it difficult for retention.”
Original Article
Source: ipolitics
Author: Elizabeth Thompson
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