Over the past few months we have seen a number of clients come into the centre to apply for EI. Without a Record Of Employment (ROE), EI claims cannot be finalized, reviewed or approved. It becomes critical that employers issue these ROE's when staff leave their positions regardless of the reason.
Q. Why are they important?
A. A Record of Employment (ROE) provides information on employment history. It is the single most important document used by employees to apply for Employment Insurance. Delaying the delivery of an ROE causes an employee an avoidable waiting period in receiving employment insurance benefits which means the employee may suffer unnecessary financial difficulty.
Q. Is it mandatory for employers to issue a ROE?
A. Yes, employers must issue the ROE within five days after the employee's last day of work regardless of the reason why the employee left.
Q. How do I submit ROE's to the federal government?
A. Service Canada encourages you to submit ROEs electronically. ROE Web is an efficient, reliable and convenient way to submit ROE's and reduces the paper burden of keeping them for 11 years.
Q. What are the penalties for not providing a timely ROE?
A. Employers are liable for two kinds of penalties for failing to provide an ROE on time. First, employers may be fined by the federal government up to $2,000 or imprisoned for up to six months, or both.
Second, employers may be liable to the employee for damages for the inconvenience they caused.
Q. What other services are impacted when employees are unable to apply for EI?
A. There are increased requests for income support, need for support through COS and JEEC. It is important to recognize that there is a financial cost to all taxpayers when employees are left without ROE's and cannot apply for EI because the employer has not issued one.
The Jasper Employment & Education Centre is a key resource for both workers and employers. We are committed to sharing information through the Fitzhugh with the goal of educating individuals on their rights and obligations. This column features frequently asked questions that come into our centre. If you have a question or want more information on a certain topic, feel free to email us at [email protected].
