What is EI - Employment Insurance
Neufeld Legal P.C. can be reached by telephone at 403-400-4092 / 905-616-8864 or email Chris@NeufeldLegal.com
Employment Insurance, frequently known by its acronym – EI, is a Canadian federal government program that provides temporary income support to unemployed workers while they look for employment or undertake to upgrade their skills, known as regular benefits. As with most government operated programs, there are legislated pre-requisites that are set out in the federal Employment Insurance Act, and expounded upon by the Employment Insurance Regulations and other governmental and court pronouncements, such that there can be considerable complexity, as well as decisions that are contrary to the legislation and the law.
The federal Employment Insurance program also provides special benefits to workers who take time off work due to specific life events, in particular:
- illness
- pregnancy
- caring for a newborn or newly adopted child
- caring for a critically ill or injured person
- caring for a family member who is seriously ill with a significant risk of death
Workers only qualify to receive Employment Insurance benefits if they have paid the requisite EI premiums in the past year and meet qualifying and entitlement conditions, as set out in the federal Employment Insurance Act.
As with most government legislation, its interpretation must be specifically considered, preferably with knowledgeable legal counsel, as the slightest variance in one’s actions can be the difference between receiving EI benefit payments and being denied EI benefit payments.
This is particularly true when it comes to quitting one’s job, as the Employment Insurance Act only allows an employee that quits “for cause” to receive EI benefit payments, such that advance consideration and planning can make all the difference in having a solid legal argument to justify one’s receipt of EI benefit payments when quitting one’s job.
Self-employed workers may also participate in EI and receive special benefits (as opposed to regular benefits), meaning the availability EI maternity and parental benefits, EI sickness benefits, and EI caregiver benefits (including family caregiver benefits for children and for parents, as well as compassionate care).
The legal parameters for employment insurance eligibility tends to be far greater than most people recognize, with the government actually dissuading many employees who are out of work from seeking EI, especially those who have quit their job or whose former employer claims to have fired them for cause, such that it is particularly important for those employees to contact a knowledgeable lawyer as soon as possible (and as we discuss elsewhere, for employees considering quitting their job, the optimal time to speak with a lawyer is in advance of quitting one's job). Furthermore, there may well be other payments due to yourself that you haven't considered when you lose / depart your job, such that legal advice is strongly recommended. For a free consultation regarding your post-employment situation, contact our law firm in strict confidence, by telephone at 403-400-4092 or 905-616-8864, or via email at Chris@NeufeldLegal.com.
Breaking-down EI - Employment Insurance:
What is Employment Insurance - EI
Who is Eligible for EI - Employment Insurance
What is Suitable Employent for purposes of EI - Employment Insurance
What is a Reasonable Job Search for purposes of EI - Employment Insurance
Quitting & Seeking EI - Importance of Advance Legal Consultation
Quitting for Cause and EI - Employment Insurance
| Don't leave behind earned money that
you are legally entitled to, just because you are looking
for a new job. To learn more, contact our law firm at Chris@NeufeldLegal.com or 403-400-4092 / 905-616-8864. |
IMPORTANT NOTE: This website is designed for general informational purposes. The site is not designed to answer specific questions about your individual situation or entitlement. Do not rely upon the information provided on this website as legal advice in respect of your individual situation nor use it as substitute for individual legal advice. If you want specific legal advice, you need to engage a lawyer under established legal engagement procedures that have been specifically agreed to by that lawyer.