Employment Insurance (EI) and Violations
To qualify for regular benefits, most people need between 420 and 700 insurable hours of work within the last 52 weeks, or since the start of their last claim — whichever is shorter. The number of hours depends on the unemployment rate in their region at the time of filing their claim for benefits.
To qualify for sickness, maternity, parental or compassionate care benefits, you need 600 insurable hours.
However, if you received a notice of violation regarding prior EI benefit periods, the number of insurable hours required to qualify is inscreased and is determined as follows:
| Without violation | With violation | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| To find out the regional rate of unemployment for your region | Regular benefits |
Sichness Maternity Parental Compas- sionate care benefits |
Minor violation |
Serious violation |
Very serious violation |
Subse- quent violation |
| Number of insurable hours | ||||||
| 6 % and under | 700 | 600 | 875 | 1050 | 1225 | 1400 |
| 6.1 % to 7 % | 665 | 600 | 831 | 998 | 1164 | 1330 |
| 7.1 % to 8 % | 630 | 600 | 788 | 945 | 1103 | 1260 |
| 8.1 % to 9 % | 595 | 600 | 744 | 893 | 1041 | 1190 |
| 9.1 % to 10 % | 560 | 600 | 700 | 840 | 980 | 1120 |
| 10.1 % to 11 % | 525 | 600 | 656 | 788 | 919 | 1050 |
| 11.1 % to 12 % | 490 | 600 | 613 | 735 | 858 | 980 |
| 12.1 % to 13 % | 455 | 600 | 569 | 683 | 796 | 910 |
| More than13 % | 420 | 600 | 525 | 630 | 735 | 840 |
If you started to work for the first time, worked sporadically or part-time or began work after a long absence from the workforce, you must accumulate 910 insurable hours of employment to qualify for regular benefits and 600 insurables hours to qualify for sickness, maternity, parental or compassionate care benefits.
However, if you received a notice of violation regarding prior EI benefit periods, the number of insurable hours required to qualify is increased and is determined as follows:
| Without Violation | With Violation | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular benefits | Sickness Maternity Parental Compassionate care benefits |
Minor violation |
Serious violation |
Very serious violation |
Subsequent violation |
| Number of insurable hours | |||||
| 910 | 600 | 1138 | 1365 | 1400 | 1400 |
