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I agree with Playfelt .... self employed people can now buy into EI .... however you are paying both the employer AND the employee contribution so it is EXPENSIVE however when you make a claim you only get 55% of whatever you claimed as INCOME and well most of us do a pretty good job of getting that down to less than minimum wage so you would only get 55% of that .... and yes once you buy into this program you have to continue to pay into the system as long as you are 'employed' either in your own business or if you return to the workforce .... so if you are planning to be self employed for a long time this is a HUGE investment you are making 'in case' you might get sick or need a mat leave.
Yup - since we have the choice I too personally think in our industry is much better off saving up each week for our own 'emergency' rather than paying into a collective pop ... cause if we end up not having one than we can use that money ... and ALL of it to boot ... for EARLY RETIREMENT ;)
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If you are concerned about 'sick leave' and not being able to work there are also extended life insurance options with 'short and long term' disability' that you can buy into which would IMO be more viable option than EI cause you can CANCEL those if you feel you are no longer needing them ;)
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There is a plan called Edge Insurance with different options.
For example, before my husband and I got permanent residency my husband took this insurance. I could have taken it also but chose not to at this time but it was worth it then as my husband wasnt eligible for EI so you can imagine what a mess we would have been in if he'd had an accident and not been able to work. This is not for illness though just for accidents. You can take it out for workplace only or work and personal life so the premium can vary. So if you pull your back out lifting children or any kind of accident you can imagine then you would be covered. 2 options avaible beyond the work/home life options. 1 is 30 day waiting period before you can get income replaced but this goes on till the age of 70. 2nd option is called 0-5 so 0 waiting period paid out for a maximum of 5 years. When getting a quote you decide how much coverage. Its entirely up to you so no 55% or 80% income. If you make $3000 a month and want to pay a premium to replace all of it, a little less or a little more then its your choice.
I think this is a great option. While it may not be ideal for all, I know for us it was huge piece of mind. Feel free to send me a message for the company details :)
