Attention: All Business Managers
SMART’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak continues to evolve. Beginning immediately in an effort to support social distancing and decrease workplace density, SMART Canadian Office is moving to a majority remote status. With the closing of local school systems and other organizations that serve the public, we need to adjust our own response to reflect these changed circumstances.
In the interests of the health and safety of all staff, please continue to report coronavirus infections or known exposure to appropriate Health authorities and your International Representative. We will continually assess the situation and provide guidance and updates as needed.
Set out below is a summary of EI sickness benefit, EI regular benefit, the new Emergency Care Benefit and the new Emergency Support Benefit that you may wish to share with your members.
EI Sickness Benefits
Employees that have been diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus or are engaging in a public health authority directed self-isolation and/or quarantine may apply for Employment Insurance sickness benefits. Employees applying for EI sickness benefits must have:
- experienced a decrease in gross earnings of more than 40% for at least one week;
- accumulated 600 insurable work hours in the 52 weeks prior to the start of a claim; and
- been diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus or are engaging in a public health authority directed self-isolation and/or quarantine
EI sickness benefits provide an employee with up to 55% of their gross earnings up to a maximum of $573 per week for up to a maximum of 15 weeks. The Federal Government has recently announced that it will be waiving the otherwise mandatory one-week waiting period for EI sickness benefits for those employees who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and/or those who are engaging public health authority directed self-isolation and/or quarantine. The Federal Government has also indicated that claimants will be eligible for EI sickness benefits without the usual requirement of a doctor's note or other medical certificate.
Employees that have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or are engaging in a public health authority directed self-isolation and/or quarantine should file a claim for EI sickness benefits immediately. Any delay in filing a claim could give rise to a denial or reduction of EI sickness benefits.
For more information on EI sickness benefits, including eligibility requirements, please visit:
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-sickness.html
The Federal Government has also set up a new dedicated toll-free phone number for employees in quarantine and seeking to waive the one-week EI sickness benefits waiting period:
Telephone: 1-833-381-2725 (toll-free)
EI Regular Benefits
Provided employees have the requisite number of insurable work hours in the qualifying period, employees that are otherwise healthy and capable of working may apply for Employment Insurance regular benefits arising from a loss of employment due to COVID-19.
The qualifying period is the shorter of the 52 week period prior to the start of any benefit claim or the period from the start of a previous benefit claim to the start of your new benefit claim if the employee applied for benefits earlier and the application was approved in the last 52 weeks. Generally speaking, employees will need between 420 and 700 hours of insurable employment based on the unemployment rate in the employee’s area during the qualifying period to qualify for EI regular benefits.
EI regular benefits provide an employee with up to 55% of their gross earnings up to a maximum of $573 per week. The length of any EI regular benefit entitlement varies from region to region depending on the unemployment levels in the region where the employee works. Currently, the Federal Government has NOT waived the mandatory one-week waiting period for EI regular benefits for those employees who have been laid-off as a result of a COVID-19 slow-down.
For more information on EI regular benefits, including eligibility requirements, please visit:
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-regular-benefit.html
Emergency Care Benefit
The Federal Government recently announced the creation of an Emergency Care Benefit of up to $900 bi-weekly for up to 15 weeks administered through CRA for those workers who don't otherwise qualify for EI sickness benefits and/or EI regular benefits.
The Federal Government has indicated the Emergency Care Benefit will be available to the following class of workers:
- Workers, including the self-employed, who are quarantined or sick with COVID-19 but do not qualify for EI sickness benefits;
- Workers, including the self-employed, who are taking care of a family member who is sick with COVID-19, such as an elderly parent, but do not quality for EI sickness benefits; and
- Parents with children who require care or supervision due to school closures, and are unable to earn employment income, irrespective of whether they qualify for EI or not.
Based on these initial eligibility requirements indicated by the Federal Government, the new Emergency Care Benefit appears to be available to piece work subcontractors in the construction industry, "gig" economy workers and part-time employees who would otherwise not be eligible for EI sickness benefits and/or EI regular benefits.
For more information on the Emergency Care Benefit, please visit:
Emergency Support Benefit
The Federal Government also recently announced the creation of an Emergency Support Benefit for Canadians who lose their jobs or face reduced hours as a result of COVID-19's impact. The Emergency Support Benefit will be delivered through the CRA to provide up to $5.0 billion in support to workers who are not eligible for EI and who are facing unemployment. Details of the benefit amounts payable to individuals and eligibility requirements for this benefit have yet to be articulated by the Federal Government. The Federal Government has indicated the Emergency Support Benefit will provide payments comparable to EI and last for 14 weeks. When further details become available, we will communicate them.
SMART top priority is the safety of its workforce, and we appreciate your hard work for our members during this unprecedented and serious situation.
We encourage our members to look out for each other in these trying times. We can only be successful in fighting COVID-19 by supporting each other and practicing social distancing.
Take care of yourself and those around you!
In Solidarity,
James Jackson
Director of Canadian Affairs
