The number of claims for maternity and paternity benefits from seasonal workers is rising. And, some say, the program is open to fraud. What’s more, it puts Canada at a disadvantage with its U.S. competitor
by SUZANNE DEUTSCH
Adrian de Boer employs two foreign farm workers on his 110-acre wholesale tree nursery north of Markham and Stouffville, and in 2009 both applied for Canadian parental benefits.
While it is unusual for 100 per cent of a producer’s foreign workforce to apply for these benefits, the program has become tremendously popular.