Employment Insurance Program

The Employment Insurance (EI) is a social program that contributes to the security of all Canadians by providing assistance to workers who lose their jobs and helps unemployed people across the country to get back to work.

Summary

Employment Insurance (EI) Report on Hiring Program

Employment Insurance Regulation Section 55.1 provides Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) with the lawful authority to obtain employee information for the purpose of this program. This regulation ensures that the department is compliant with both federal and provincial privacy legislation and safeguards the privacy of Canadian workers.

Employers participation in the Report on Hirings (ROH) Program is voluntary. To help detect and deter overpayments, HRSDC is asking employers, to report the Social Insurance Number and first day worked of your newly-hired or recalled employees on an on-going basis.

This information is quickly matched against HRSDC's Benefit Pay file to see if those who are still collecting income benefits have declared their work and earnings. By reporting their hirings promptly, participating employers help HRSDC detect abuse at an early stage and protect their contributions to the Employment Insurance Fund. For participating employers, it also means that the Requests for Payroll information forms you receive from HRSDC deal with more current payroll data.

Concerning your employees

HRSDC will only extract information on employees who are, or have been, EI clients. Information collected through the Report on Hirings Program will be used in the administration of the HRSDC employment and benefit programs.

We strongly recommend that you advise your employees of your participation in the Report on Hirings Program because it will act as a strong deterrent against the abuse of income benefits.

What HRSDC expects employers to do - EI Program

• complete and issue Records of Employment when employees stop working;
• accurately record the reason for separation, hours worked, gross earnings, and any money paid or payable on separation;
• advise employees to register for EI benefits within four weeks of separation;
• complete and return promptly all requests for information from HRSDC officials;
• advise HRSDC if someone is offered work with your business but does not accept it;
• contact HRSDC if you become liable for an arbitration award, settlement or similar payment for a former employee.

EI premium rate for employers

As of January 1st, 2008, employers will pay a premium rate of $2.42 per $100 of each employee's earnings, up to the annual maximum insurable earnings of $41 100 for each employee. The maximum contribution amount of each employee is $994.62.

For employees residing in Quebec, employers will pay a premium rate of $1.95 per $100 of each employee's earnings, up to the annual maximum insurable earnings of $41 100 for each employee. The maximum contribution amount for each employee is $801.45.

EI premium rate for employees
 
As of January 1st, 2008, for each employee, employers will need to deduct $1.73 for each $100 of your employee's salary, up to the maximum insurable earnings of $41 100. The maximum contribution amount for each employee is $711.03.

For your employees residing in Quebec, you will need to deduct $1.39 for each $100 of your employee's salary, up to the maximum insurable earnings of $41 100. The maximum contribution amount for each employee is $571.29.

Have you considered the following programs?

• to top-up an employee's EI benefits (SUB) while they are temporarily out of work - see the link Supplemental Unemployment Benefits Program;
• to reduce your EI premiums - see the link Employment Insurance Premium Reduction Program.

Quebec Contact(s):
Service Canada Centres
For a complete list of all Service Canada Centres please visit the Web site or check the government listings in your telephone directory.
Web site: http://www1.servicecanada.gc.ca/en/gateways/where_you_live/regions/qc.shtml

National Contact(s):
See regional contact(s).