Everything You Always Wanted to Know about EI,
but Were Too Confused to Ask

Most CUPE 4163 members are hired on a term-by-term basis. As a result, we get a number of questions around whether our members are eligible to receive Employment Insurance (EI) if they are not rehired for a term.

Am I eligible to receive EI?

If you are not rehired after your current term of appointment ends, you may be eligible for EI. In order to receive EI, you must have worked at least the required insurable hours in the 52 weeks prior to the termination of your employment. The insurable hours required are based on the unemployment rates in the region in which you live. Currently, for the Victoria region (including all of the Capital Regional District), the qualifying number is 630 hours (at the time of writing). Please note, if you live outside of the CRD, the qualifying number may be different.

If you are not reappointed for the next term, you will receive a Record of Employment (ROE) from the University. The ROE will show the number of insurable hours you have in the previous 53 weeks, as well as your earnings for the most recent 27 weeks prior to the termination of your employment. Note that if you are fired for just cause or if you quit, you are not usually eligible for EI benefits.

How do I determine my insurable hours?

a) Component One (TAs, COUS employees, other Specialist Instructionals)

Calculating your hours is simple for Component One members, as your appointment is normally for a specific number of hours. For COUS employees who are on timesheets, the number of hours will be the actual number of hours you work during your term of appointment, based on what your timesheets report. If you are a student, the limitation on the number of hours you can work (a maximum of 14 hours per week) means that you will not meet the qualifying requirement, and will not be eligible for EI. However, if you work off campus you can count both appointments towards
your eligibility.

b) Component Two (Second Language Instructors, Cultural Assistants)

English Language Centre instructors teaching in full-time programs, including both ELPI and short-term programs, are credited with 38.5 hours per week. Elective teachers in the ELC are credited with 3.85 hours for each elective taught (2 contact hours per elective, times 1.925 hours for preparation and other non-classroom duties).

French Language Program instructors in La Maison Française summer program are credited with 38.5 hours per week. Other full-time instructors in the FLP are credited with 35 hours per week. Part-time instructors in the FLP receive 1.75 hours prep for each hour of contact time.

Cultural Assistants, like TAs, are appointed to a specific number of hours for the term of their appointment.

c) Component Three (Sessionals)

For the Winter Session (Fall and Spring terms), a full-time workload for sessionals is considered to be 4.5 units per term. A sessional working a full-time workload is credited with 36 hours per week towards EI qualification. Each 1.5 unit course during the Winter Session is equal to 12 hours per week for EI purposes.

In the Summer Session, the number of hours will depend on the length of the course. For "A", "J", "P", and "Q" courses (approximately 3.5 weeks), a 1.5 unit course is considered full-time, equalling 36 hours per week. For "M" and "R" courses (approximately 7 weeks), 1.5 units is considered half-time, or 18 hours per week. "K" courses are treated like their counterparts in the Winter Session.

How much EI will I receive?

Generally, EI benefits are 55% of your average weekly earnings for the most recent 26 weeks prior to the termination of your employment, up to a maximum of $413 per week. Please note, in certain parts of the province outside of Victoria and Vancouver, there is a pilot project that uses your best 14 weeks out of the last 52, rather than simply looking at your most recent 26 weeks. This pilot could be very important for sessionals, who often have wide fluctuations in the number of courses they teach in different terms.

The length of time for which you can receive EI benefits varies, depending on your region and the number of insurable hours you have. For example, in Victoria, you can receive benefits for a minimum of 14 weeks (for 700 insurable hours) to a maximum of 36 weeks (more than 1820 insurable hours). Of course, if you find a new job, your EI benefits will cease when you start working again.

Besides offering EI benefits for people who are out of work, there are also EI programs for Maternity, Parental or Sickness benefits, and for Compassionate Care benefits. For more information, or to fill out a claim for EI benefits, contact your local Service Canada Centre (federal government offices), or check out the Department of Human Resources and Skills Development website:

http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/ei/menu/eihome.shtml

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CUPE 4163
Canadian Union of Public Employees local 4163
University of Victoria
Technology Enterprise Facility Room 217
Box 1700, Stn. CSC, Victoria BC, V8W 2Y2
Tel. (250) 472-4778 Fax: (250) 472-4806
Email: cupe4163 (at) uvic.ca