Conservatives Launch Next Generation of Policies for Flexibility and Choice in Parenting and Work-Life Balance
Ottawa, ON — Garnett Genuis, Conservative Shadow Minister for Employment, released the following statement on new Conservative proposals to strengthen families and improve flexibility and fairness in Canada’s parental leave system:
“Canada’s parental leave system should support families, not force them into rigid choices that do not reflect the realities of modern parenting.
“Many parents want the ability to balance work, caregiving and skills development in ways that reflect their family’s unique needs. Unfortunately, the current system penalizes parents who try to do exactly that.
“Conservatives are proposing practical reforms that would make parental leave more flexible, expand the availability of childcare and support families during the important early years of a child’s life.
“Today we are launching three proposals:
- Flexible Parental Leave. Currently, parents outside Quebec cannot pause and then resume their leave. There are many situations in which a parent may want to return to work for a short time and then resume their leave. Introducing this option provides more flexibility for parents and for employers. Conservatives are proposing to allow parental leave to be paused and then resumed, within the existing maximum parental leave timeframe of 18 months, and based on mutual agreement between employer and employee. Conservatives believe that the government should get out of the way and allow employers and employees to determine a mutually agreeable and flexible leave schedule where desirable. This also provides more flexibility for the self-employed to develop their own leave schedule.
- Learning on Leave. Parents should be able to pursue education or skills training while on parental leave without losing access to their benefits. Allowing learning on leave would help parents maintain their connection to the labour market and strengthen their long-term career prospects. Currently ability to learn on leave is not a certainty, with determinations made by bureaucrats based on fuzzy and imprecise criteria. The government should not treat parents like children. Conservative propose ensuring that parents are able to make their own decisions about learning on leave.
- A Caregiving Exception to EI Parental Benefit Clawbacks. Parents who provide additional paid caregiving support to other families while caring for their own children should not be penalized through benefit clawbacks. Conservatives are proposing a caregiving exception to benefit clawbacks. This would allow a new mom to start a day home, or to watch a neighbour’s child from time to time, in order to earn a little extra money. This provides families with more flexibility and incentivizes an increase in the availability of childcare services.
“If implemented, these proposals would allow families more flexibility to integrate work and family life in a way that is appropriate for their situation. It would also provide opportunities for employers to engage members of their team in more flexible ways, increase the availability of childcare and make it easier for more parents to become entrepreneurs.”
“Canadians do not want to be forced to choose between having a career and meeting the needs of their family. These Conservative proposals would bring government policy into the 21st century by giving families the flexibility they are seeking.”