Don't expect EI if you lose your job for not being vaccinated, minister says

Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough says it’s likely that people who lose their jobs for not complying with employer COVID-19 vaccine policies will not be eligible for employment insurance (EI).

“It’s a condition of employment that hasn’t been met,” Qualtrough said in an interview with CBC’s Power & Politics. “And the employer choosing to terminate someone for that reason would make that person ineligible for EI.

“I can tell you that’s the advice I’m getting, and that’s the advice I’ll move forward with.”

Qualtrough said this rule does not apply in situations where someone has a medical exemption or a “valid reason” for not being vaccinated.

Employment and Social Development