Brothers & Sisters,
If you had any other money pay out to you such as PAY IN LIEU OF VACATION – TIME NOT TAKEN, you should report a return to FULL-TIME work. Report that you started a full-time job at the beginning of this EI report; either Monday, November 28th or Monday, December 5th depending on which biweekly report cycle you are on.
If a future layoff occurs the Union Benefit Office will request a new Reference Code from Service Canada, which will allow your to re-start your established EI claim for Regular Benefits. By reporting your return to work, you are simply not required to report for a period of time that you are employed.
If a future layoff occurs, you make a new application to re-start your established EI claim. An EI claims can run for 52 weeks, so if you have established a waiting period you will not be required to serve another when you re-apply.
We strongly advise that you report your return to work if you were paid vacation on top of your worked hours to avoid complications with Service Canada. If you report your pay in lieu of vacation as “Other money”, this will flag your claim and you will need to contact Service Canada to explain the income. A Service Canada agent will divide and allocate these vacation hours accordingly to future weeks. This can cause unnecessary delays, and may put your claim under review.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE PAY IN LIEU OF VACATION – TIME NOT TAKEN; if you were only paid your worked hours and the Inflation Protection bonus then you may then continue your EI Regular Benefit biweekly reports as per normal. Though with no layoff weeks currently scheduled it would still be best to report you returned to work.
If you decide to continue your reports, DO NOT report the $2,000.00 Inflation Protection Bonus monies to Service Canada. As this Bonus payment is allocated to periods of employment retroactive from January 1st 2022. (As per Employment Insurance Digest 5.14).
In Solidarity,
Paul Ivey
Unifor Local 707 Benefit Representative
Tim Batke
Unifor Local 707 Alternative Benefit Representative