An Important Message from I/CAN re Employment Insurance and Covid-19

2. Contact https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei.html to determine if you are eligible to make a claim (please keep in mind that eligibility requirements are strict and depend on how long you have been working and paying into EI).

3. If you are off work due to illness, you may be eligible for sickness benefits. Normally, a worker who qualifies for the benefits has a one-week waiting period before payments start. For people quarantined due to COVID-19, the government is eliminating the waiting period entirely. Normally a medical certificate signed by your doctor is required to get sick-leave benefits but a spokeswoman for the Employment Minister has said the government is waiving the note for patients required to go into quarantine by law or by a public-health official. People who are asked to self-isolate by their employers when public-health officials recommend it can also qualify.

4. You may wish to consult an employment lawyer if you have questions/concerns regarding pay-in-lieu or severance.

*Please consider: EI is (generally) only a portion of your regular income. Many of our clients may be eligible for EI but will need to assess if it will be enough to cover weekly expenses. Those who are newly arrived will not likely be covered and are therefore financially exposed. We urge you to consider your financial situation in order to determine your plans and next steps.

Please see our FB posts with respect to mental health awareness at this challenging time.