The federal government, led by Minister of Employment, Workforce Development, and Official Languages Randy Boissonnault, has initiated the selection process for appointing members to the newly established Employment Insurance Board of Appeal.
Interested candidates are invited to apply by June 20, 2024, through the Governor in Council appointments website.
This new board will transition the responsibility of hearing first-level appeals under the Employment Insurance Act from the Social Security Tribunal. The Employment Insurance Board of Appeal will feature three-member panels consisting of representatives from the government, workers, and employers to ensure a balanced and equitable decision-making process. These panels will be regional, reflecting the diversity of Canadian communities.
Minister Boissonnault emphasized the benefits of this new structure, stating, “With the creation of the Employment Insurance (EI) Board of Appeal, Canadians will get fair and timely decisions for first-level EI appeals. Our Government listened, and today’s announcement shows that we are serious about working with organized labour and employers to modernize the EI system by returning to a regionally based and tripartite review board.”
The selection process will be open, transparent, and based on merit, aimed at filling roles including the executive head, regional coordinators, and part-time members. Additional appointments will include representatives chosen by the Canada Employment Insurance Commission to equally represent both employers and insured workers.
This initiative marks a significant change in the Employment Insurance recourse process and results from extensive consultations with Canadians and stakeholders such as labour and employer groups. It follows the reforms announced in 2019 which targeted the transformation of the Social Security Tribunal and the recent legislation passed in June 2023 that formally established the Board of Appeal under the Budget Implementation Act, 2023, No. 1.
