The latest on Employment Insurance (EI)

DECEMBER 2005

• Important Notice for your direct deposit: Due to statutory holidays observed by Federal Government departments and financial institutions, please take note of the following payment delays:
   
  
  • For reports processed Friday, December 23^rd through to Tuesday, December 27^th, payments will be deposited on Thursday, December 29^th.
  • For reports processed Thursday, December 29^th, payments will be deposited on Tuesday, January 3^rd.
  • For reports processed Friday, December 30^th to Monday, January 2^nd, payments will be deposited on Wednesday, January 4^th.
     

  If you receive your payment by mail, postal delays may occur.
     
• Important notice! If after reporting earlier your reporting period ending December 17^th or December 24^th, 2005, you worked, received other moneys, were not available for work or became sick during the remainder of the period normally covered by your report, you must advise us of the new information. If this is the case, please call 1 800 206-7218 during business hours and press 0 for assistance or use this form to indicate the corrections to your report.
   
• Effective December 11, 2005, individuals living in one of the 23 EI economic regions could see their EI benefits increase by allowing them to earn a greater amount while working part-time and receiving EI benefits. To know more…
   
• Effective December 11, 2005, individuals living in one of the 23 EI economic regions could qualify for regular benefits with less insurable hours. To know more…
   
• Improvements to the Index of Jurisprudence have been made when using the “Issues…”, “Case…”, “Judge…” and “Claimant…” search options. For the “Case Search” option, you will now be able to use the actual case number in searching for a Federal Court of Appeal decision (ex: A-32-04).
  

NOVEMBER 2005

• Employment Insurance premium reduced to $1.87 for 2006. To know more…
    
• Important notice: Due to the statutory holiday observed by Federal Government departments and Financial Institutions on Friday November 11th, payments for reports processed from Thursday November 10th to Sunday November 13th, will be deposited on Tuesday, November 15th, 2005.

OCTOBER 2005

• The EI pilot known as the Best 14 Weeks project has now been implemented on October 30, 2005.  This project has particular significance for employers and payroll professionals.
    
• Effective October 30, 2005, individuals living in 23 EI economic regions will be able to have their EI benefit rate calculated based on their "best or highest 14 weeks" of insurable earnings in the last 52 weeks. This new way of calculating removes program features which may be discouraging individuals from accepting all available work and will, in some cases, increase benefits for individuals with sporadic work patterns by better reflecting their full-time work patterns. For more information…
        
• Government of Canada responds to the Supreme Court of Canada decision on Employment Insurance maternity and parental benefits.
   
• 2006 Maximum Insurable Earnings - Section 4 of the Employment Insurance Act  provides the formula for calculating the maximum insurable earnings for the years 2002 and thereafter. This report presents the results of these calculations for the year 2006.
    
• Important Notice: Due to the statutory holiday on Monday October 10^th, payments for reports processed from Friday October 7^th to Monday October 10^th will be deposited on Wednesday October 12^th.
   
• Questions and answers related to Employment Insurance (EI) maternity and parental benefits in opposition to the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan for the transition period.

SEPTEMBER 2005

• Important message for Quebec residents in regards to benefit claims at the time of birth or adoption of a child. To know more...
   
• Important notice:  Due to the statutory holiday on Monday September 5^th, EI payments for reports processed from Friday September 2^nd to Monday September 5^th, will be deposited on Wednesday September 7^th.
    

AUGUST 2005 

• Effective August 15, 2005, residents of British Columbia, Yukon Territory, Manitoba, Alberta, Nunavut, Saskatchewan and North West Territories will also have access to the new service “My EI Information on-line”. This service allows you to view your current EI claim information, including payment and deduction details. You can also view and update your mailing address, telephone number and banking information for direct deposit. It is simple, fast, convenient and secure.
     
• Questions and Answers updated regarding proposed pilot projects aimed at enhancing the Employment Insurance program.
   
• Effective August 8, 2005, residents of Ontario will also have access to the new service "My EI Information on-line". This services allows you to view your current EI claim information, including payment and deduction details. You can also view and update your mailing address, telephone number and banking information for direct deposit. It is simple, fast, convenient and secure.

JULY 2005

• Delays in Direct Deposit – Due to the statutory holiday on Monday August 1st, payments for reports processed from Friday July 29th to Monday August 1st will be deposited on Wednesday August 3rd.
    
• Employers: Information on the Best 14 weeks pilot project is available. This information is for the new version of ROE Web which will be implemented in the fall of 2005.
   
• Employers: New User Requirements for ROE Web Available – The user requirements for the 53 week ROE format are now on-line.  These requirements are for the new version of ROE Web which will be implemented in the Fall of 2005.
   
• Effective July 11, 2005, residents of Quebec will also have access to the new service “My EI Information on-line”. This service allows you to view your current EI claim information, including payment and deduction details. You can also view and update your mailing address, telephone number and banking information for direct deposit. It is simple, fast, convenient and secure.
   
• If you move or your bank account information changes, it is important that you let us know as soon as possible. Call between the hours of 8:30 am to 4:30 pm at 1 800 206-7218 and  press "0" to speak to a representative. You can also write or visit your Service Canada Centre. This information will ensure prompt payment of EI benefits and also that you receive you T4E income tax receipt for next year.

JUNE 2005

• Delays in Direct Deposit — Due to the statutory holiday on Friday July 1^st, payments for reports processed from Thursday June 30^th to Sunday July 3^rd will be deposited on Tuesday, July 5^th.
   
• Effective June 27, 2005 residents of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland will also have access to the new service “My EI Information on-line”. This service allows you to view your current EI claim information, including payment and deduction details. You can also view and update your mailing address, telephone number and banking information for direct deposit. It is simple, fast, convenient and secure.
     
• Important notice for Quebec residents: Due to the statutory holiday on Friday June 24^th, payments for reports processed from Thursday, June 23^rd to Sunday, June 26^th will be deposited on Tuesday June 28^th.

May 2005

• New Employment Insurance (EI) Internet service - Effective May 30, 2005, residents of New Brunswick can access the service “My EI Information on-line”. This on-line service allows you to view your current and previous EI claim information, including payments and deduction details and more... To know more on the new service “My EI Information on-line”…
   
• Delays in Direct Deposit — Due to the statutory holiday on Monday, May 23^rd, payments processed from Friday, May 20^th to Monday, May 23^rd will be deposited on Wednesday, May 25^th.
   
• The 2004 Employment Insurance Monitoring and Assessment Report focuses on the period April 1, 2003 to March 31, 2004. The Honourable Lucienne Robillard, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, tabled the report in Parliament on May 13th, 2005. The report, prepared by the Canada Employment Insurance Commission, monitors and assesses the impacts of the Employment Insurance system on the economy, communities and individuals.

April 2005

• Retroactive Pay Increase for Former Federal Government Employees and those on Leave Without Pay.
  If you have received Employment Insurance benefits between effective date of the new contract and now and you had a weekly EI rate of less than $413.00 gross, you should get in touch with our automated telephone information service at 1 800 206-7218, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and press "0" to speak to a representative. You can also go in person to your Service Canada Centre with your retroactive pay stub. You may be entitled to a recalculation of your benefit rate.
  
  If you are currently receiving EI benefits, you have to declare your retroactive pay on your Internet report or your Telephone report even if it will not be deducted from your benefits.

• Index of Jurisprudence - We have added this new tool which includes summaries of about 9,000 significant decisions from Umpires, the Federal Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. Significant judgements are those that hold some jurisprudential value or provide insight into the present legislation and policies dealing with entitlement to employment insurance.
    
• Digest of Entitlement Principles - Throughout the Digest there are footnotes with references to significant decisions from Umpires, the Federal Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court that are posted in the Index of Jurisprudence. We have now activated links to the Index of Jurisprudence and to these decisions.
       
• Questions and Answers regarding enhancements to Employment Insurance.
   
• Automated Earnings Reporting System (AERS) — A voluntary verification program that protects the integrity of the Employment Insurance fund and reduces administrative costs for employers. To know more and to register...

• Delays in Direct Deposit — Due to the statutory holidays observed by Federal Government Departments and Financial Institutions on Friday, March 25^th and Monday, March 28^th, payments processed the evening of Wednesday, March 23^rd will be deposited to bank accounts on Tuesday, March 29^th. Payments processed from Thursday, March 24^th to Monday, March 28^th will be deposited on Wednesday, March 30^th, 2005.

February 2005

• Government of Canada announces enhancements to Employment Insurance — Approximately 300 million dollars in new measures aimed at enhancing the Employment Insurance (EI) program that will benefit more than 220,000 Canadian workers annually.
     
• Employment Insurance T4E income tax receipts for 2004 have now been mailed. If you have received your T4E and have questions about the content or if you have not received your T4E and wish to request a duplicate, please call our automated telephone information service at 1 800 206-7218, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, and press "0" to speak to a representative.

January 2005

• Employment Insurance T4E income tax receipts will be issued by February 28, 2005. Duplicate T4Es will not be issued until the originals have been mailed. For information concerning your T4E, please call on or after February 28, 2005 our automated telephone information service at 1 800 206-7218, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, and press "0" to speak to a representative.

  2004