Employment Insurance (EI) Legislation - Readability Project

In full partnership with the Department of Justice, the federal department of Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) is re-writing the EI Legislation based on the International Plain Language movement. The project’s goal is to make this important piece of social legislation more user-friendly and easier to understand while preserving its current fundamental provisions and program principles.

The EI Legislation is a federal statute providing insurance against unemployment for all paid-workers in Canada (some 15 million) and is one of several income-support programs administered by HRDC. This legislation is considered to be one of the most difficult federal laws to understand.

Once completed, the EI prototype is expected to serve as model for future drafting of federal statutes by the Department of Justice.

Project's major notions:

Toward a New Format for Canadian Legislation (.PDF format, 692KB)
An independent report on graphic design principles and methods used to improve public access to the law. This report was commissioned to a highly respected consulting firm that specializes in graphic design and communication.

Results of Usability Testing Research (.PDF format, 373KB)
A study completed by an independent firm on the readability and usability of the plain language draft versions of the EI Act that showed a clear preference for the plain language version over the current Act.

Sample of the new drafting approach (.PDF format, 457KB)
Illustration of the new organizational structure of the EI Act, the enhanced drafting style and the new layout facilitating access and readability.