Friday, August 23, 2024

Navigating Employment Insurance (EI)

Many Local 306 members need to claim employment insurance (EI) through Service Canada, sometimes several times per year. EI can be challenging to understand and inconsistently administered. The following is a summary to help you know what EI benefits you are entitled to

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Am I eligible for EI unemployment benefits?

There are several criteria the government uses to determine your eligibility for EI, including being employed in insurable employment, having lost your job through no fault of your own, and having worked the required number of insurable hours. Please visit the government’s EI regular benefits website for more details.

If you find yourself unable to work due to flooding, wildfires, or another natural disaster, you should know you can apply for EI even if your employer hasn’t issued you a record of employment.

Remember, if you’re unsure if you meet the eligibility criteria, it never hurts to apply! You can also call the government’s EI telephone information service at 1-800-206-7218 for assistance.

How many hours do you need to qualify?

This varies from 400 to 720 hours in the qualifying period, depending on the unemployment rate in your economic region at the start of your claim. As of the time of writing, it is 665 hours in southern Manitoba, 700 hours in Winnipeg, and 420 hours in northern Manitoba.

The qualifying period is the shorter of the 52-week period immediately before the start date of your claim, or the period from the start of a previous benefit period to the start of your new benefit period, if you applied for benefits earlier and your application was approved in the last 52 weeks. In some cases, the qualifying period may be extended to a maximum of 104 weeks if you weren’t employed in insurable employment or if you weren’t receiving EI benefits.

How does resigning, termination, etc. impact qualifying for EI?

You are not eligible for EI if

• you voluntarily left your job without just cause.

• you were dismissed for misconduct.

• you’re unemployed because you’re directly participating in a labour dispute.

How much does EI pay?

For most people, the basic rate for calculating EI benefits is 55 percent of their average insurable weekly earnings, up to a maximum amount. As of January 1, 2024, the maximum yearly insurable earnings amount is $63,200. This means that you can receive a maximum amount of $668 per week.

EI bases its calculation on the best weeks of earnings during the qualifying period. The number of those best weeks ranges from 14 to 22 depending on the unemployment rate in your EI economic region at the start of your claim. In Manitoba, it is 22 weeks for Winnipeg residents, 21 weeks if you live in southern Manitoba, and 14 for those in northern Manitoba.

How long does EI last?

The number of weeks you can receive EI unemployment benefits depends on the unemployment rate in your economic region. Currently in Manitoba that ranges from 36 to 45 weeks:

Winnipeg – 36 weeks

Southern Manitoba – 38 weeks

Northern Manitoba – 45 weeks

Is there anything that can jeopardize my benefits, other than earning too much money at another job?

You are not eligible for EI while you are out of the country, unless you can demonstrate you remain available for work in Canada. There are a few exceptions, which mainly relate to family concerns and looking for a job abroad. Also, if you stop submitting your biweekly reports within the required timeframe, your benefits will end.

EI Sickness Benefits

EI sickness benefits last for 26 weeks, and the maximum amount payable is the same as regular EI.

To qualify, you need a medical certificate showing you’re unable to work for medical reasons and for approximately how long, to demonstrate that your regular weekly earnings have decreased by more then 4 percent for more than 1 week, and have accumulated 600 insured hours of work in the 52 weeks before the start of your claim or since the start of your last claim, whichever is shorter.

The medical certificate can be issued by a medical doctor, nurse practitioner, chiropractor, podiatrist, optometrist, psychologist, dentist, or midwife. If you live in an isolated area where there is no doctor, a certificate from a registered nurse is also acceptable. The medical person must practice in Canada or the US, and the illness they’re treating must be in their field.

If your health problem makes you unable to apply for EI and submit the biweekly reports, you can appoint a representative to manage your EI claim, and the government will authorize the payment of benefits to that person.

EI All Benefits

What is the waiting period?

1 week

Is EI taxable?

Yes.

What is the role of the record of employment (ROE), and how much time does the employer have to submit it?

Your employer must submit an ROE to the government each time there is an interruption of earnings for one of its employees. The government uses the information in the ROE to administer unemployment benefits.

The deadline for issuing ROEs is five days (from first day of interruption of earnings) for paper copies, and five days (after the end of the pay period in which an employee experiences an interruption of earnings) or fifteen days (after the first day of interruption of earnings) for electronic copies. If the employer is submitting electronically, they are not required to provide the ROE to the employee but should let the employee know that it has been submitted.

If you think you might qualify for EI, you should apply for it as soon as you stop working, even if your ROE has not been issued yet. If the ROE is unreasonably delayed, you can call the government’s EI information service and ask for assistance.

How much income can be earned while on EI, without jeopardizing that benefit?

If you earn money while receiving EI benefits, you can keep 50 cents of your benefits for every dollar you earn, up to 90 percent of your previous weekly earnings (roughly 4.5 days of work). Above this cap, your EI benefits are deducted dollar-for-dollar. You’re not eligible to receive EI benefits if you work a full week, regardless of the amount you earn. However, this won’t reduce the total number of weeks payable on your claim.

EI Family Supplement

There is an EI family supplement to EI regular benefits for those who have children and are considered a low-income family. If your net family income is $25,921 or less, you have children, and you or your spouse receives the Canada Child Benefit, you may be eligible for an EI family supplement that can increase your benefit rate up to 80 percent of your average insurable earnings.

Navigating Employment Insurance (EI)

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