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Sudbury HRCC: FAQ & Help
FAQs (answers to frequently asked questions)
are available for:
Our Job Bank®
service.
Find out when and how jobs are posted, how to apply,
terminology used, etc.
FAQs
What follows is a list of questions commonly asked of HRCC staff. Click on your query to get the answer you're looking for.
- How and when do you apply for a social insurance card?
- How do you apply for Employment Insurance benefits?
- Do you get paid for the waiting period?
- What do I do if I work while on claim?
- What is meant by an interruption of earnings?
- I've lost my report card, what do I do?
- What is a claimant report?
- How do I access employment opportunities?
- How does a labour dispute affect my claim?
- What do I do if I don't agree with a decision made on my claim?
- Are EI benefits taxable?
- What is a Telephone Access Code (TAC) number?
- How long can I collect benefits?
- How do I repay an overpayment?
- If I am fired or quit a job, what happens with UI?
- What tools are available for me through your office for career decision making?
- I want to take a course and I'm wondering what assistance is available from Human Resources Canada?
- Am I eligible to participate in programs funded through your office?
- Whatever happened to "Manpower" and the "Canada Employment Centre"?
- What is "Employment
Insurance" or "EI" and how does it
compare to "Unemployment Insurance" or
"UI"?
If you need help please contact the following persons:
- For technical questions about this site, contact hrc3529@cyberbeach.net
- For questions or comments about the "functionality, look, feel, layout, or content on this site gilles.brunet@hrdc-drhc.gc.ca
- For questions about the Labour Market Information on the site please contact marilyn.prus@hrdc-drhc.gc.ca or the Labour Market Information Unit at the Sudbury HRCC.
- If you would rather contact us in a public, forum style way, our HRCC Guestbook is under construction.
When do you apply
for a social insurance card?
Applications are available at the local Human Resource
Centre (HRC). There is no fee for the first card but if
you are requesting a replacement card there is a charge
of $10.00. Applications must be fully completed and
reviewed by a Client Service Representative at the HRC.
The identification documents that are required to have
your application certified are listed on the form.
Applications may be filed for social insurance cards
regardless of the person's age. Sometimes they are
required for children, in which case parents may request
cards on their behalf.
How do you apply for
Employment Insurance benefits?
Applications for regular benefits may
be completed by entering the information onto a
computerized system in our office. Alternatively, you may
complete a paper application and mail it in if you are
not in the local area. Once this has been completed it is
reviewed with a Client Service Representative to ensure
it has all the necessary information needed to finalize
the claim. Any other forms needed (i.e. quit, dismissal,
training) are also reviewed with a representative. If you
are applying for special benefits (medical, maternity or
parental) you must complete a paper application form and
this is also reviewed by a Client Service Representative.
You do not need to have your Record of Employment with
you at the time you file your claim for benefits but it
is required in order to finalize your claim and determine
your benefit rate and duration of entitlement.
Do you get paid for
the waiting period?
No, you don't. No benefits are paid
during the two-week waiting period which is served once,
at the beginning of your claim. This is like a deductible
for any kind of insurance.
What do I do if I
work while on claim?
Any monies earned while on claim is to
be reported as it is earned. Any monies earned during the
two week waiting period are deducted dollar for dollar.
Once you have served the waiting period you are allowed
to earn 25% of your benefit rate before any monies are
deducted from your employment insurance. You are required
to declare the gross amount and the computer does the
necessary deductions.
What is meant by an
interruption of earnings?
This is seven consecutive days without
work or pay.
I've lost my report
card, what do I do?
If you live in town you can go to the
closest office and a handwritten card will be done for
you. If you are an out-of-town client, we can generate
new cards from the pay centre.
A claimant report is a card that is
sent to you every two weeks while you are on EI. The card
asks you questions such as whether you worked, attended
training, are available for work, and are receiving other
monies (during the dates shown on the card). In order to
receive employment insurance benefits, you will need to
complete your claimant report card and send it in for
processing (using the envelope provided or by using your
local Human Resource Centre courier service). If you do
not send your card in you will not be paid. If you do not
send the card in a timely manner you may lose benefits.
It usually takes approximately one week for a card to
process resulting in a cheque for you, but it can take up
to ten working days.
How do I access
employment opportunities?
All job opportunities are listed on the
"job banks" located in your local Human
Resource Centre. You can also access the information by
using the employment number listed in the phone book.
Remember, not all employers choose to use our job bank
services so not all employment opportunities in the
community will be listed here.
How does a labour
dispute affect my claim?
If a strike, lockout or other form of
labour dispute where you work causes you to lose your job
or prevents you from going to work, you may want to
contact our office to consider services that would be
available to you. All decisions relating to labour
disputes are made at the Regional level. If you are on an
active claim a stop-pay may be imposed on your claim
until all decisions surrounding the dispute are made.
What do I do if I
don't agree with a decision made on my claim?
If you do not agree with a decision made on your claim you may appeal it. This is done by writing a letter, within 30 days of notice sent to you, to our office advising of your intent to appeal a decision. Once this letter is received your file is passed to the Clerk of the Board of Referees to set up your date for appeal. You may attend in person or have the appeal heard by phone. The Board of Referees is made up of people who do not work for Human Resources Development Canada. They will review the facts of the case and make a decision.
If you do not agree with the outcome of
the appeal you have the right to appeal to the Umpire.
The Umpire is a judge of the division of the Federal
Court of Canada. Decisions by the Umpire are usually
final. But you may be able to further challenge the
decision to the Federal Court of Appeal and to the
Supreme Court of Canada.
Employment Insurance benefits are
taxable, therefore income tax is deducted from each
benefit cheque. You will receive a T4U to declare your
benefits on your income tax.
What is a Telephone
Access Code (TAC) number?
You will receive your access code with
your first set of report cards. It is used to access
information on your Employment Insurance claim. Do not
let others have this code as they could get information
or take action on your Employment Insurance claim without
your knowing. This number is required when telephoning
the office for information.
How long can I
collect benefits?
How long you can draw regular benefits
depends on the unemployment rate in your region and how
long you have worked. For further information on the
number of weeks of entitlement payable, contact your
local Human Resource Centre (HRC) or see our brochure
entitled Employment Insurance Benefits, available from
any HRC.
How do I repay an
overpayment?
If you are on an active claim your
overpayment will be deducted off of your Employment
Insurance benefits. If you are not on an active claim you
must make repayment arrangements with our Collections
Department in Vancouver. If the repayment is going to
cause you financial hardship, you should complete an
agreed deduction form to allow small amounts to be taken
off of your cheque. Usually an overpayment is deducted at
the rate of 50% of your weekly amount unless there is a
penalty involved, in which case it may be deducted at
100% of you weekly amount, unless an agreed deduction is
in place. You can also repay the overpayment by cash at
any time.
If I am fired or
quit a job, what happens with UI?
If you quit your job without just cause
or if you are fired for misconduct, you will not receive
Employment Insurance benefits. There are 13 circumstances
for quitting which the Employment Insurance Commission
considers just cause:
- sexual or other harassment
- needing to move with a spouse or dependent child to another part of the country
- discrimination because of race, colour or religion
- working conditions that endanger your health or safety
- the necessity of caring for a child or another member of your immediate family
- reasonable assurance of another job in the immediate future
- major changes in the terms and conditions of your job affecting wages or salary
- excessive overtime or an employer's refusal to pay for overtime work
- major changes in work duties
- difficult relations with a supervisor, for which you are not primarily responsible
- your employer is doing things which break the law
- discrimination because of membership in an association, organization or union of workers
- pressure from your employer or
fellow workers to make you quit
Other reasonable circumstances could be considered as just cause to ensure fair treatment.
What tools are
available for me through your office for career decision
making?
The Human Resource Centre has career
counsellors available to assist you with career decision
making. There is also a computer program called Choices
which you can use to give you ideas of some occupations
that may be of interest to you.
I want to take a
course and I'm wondering what assistance is available
from Human Resources Canada.
We are in the process of phasing out the purchase of training. By July 1, 1999 we will no longer be in a position to offer any assistance with training. Prior to that date you would need to discuss what your training plans are with an Employment Officer.
This situation will not change the
practice of allowing individuals to pay their own course
costs while receiving their insurance benefits.
Additional support may be negotiated as required based on
your individual needs.
Am I eligible to
participate in programs funded through your office?
Some activities funded through our office are available to any unemployed Canadians; others require that you are an Insured Client. An Insured Client is someone who has one of the following:
- A current claim for Income Benefits.
- A claim for Income Benefits which ended within the previous 36 months.
- A claim for Income Benefits which started in the previous 60 months and on which they were paid maternity or parental benefits and after which they subsequently removed themselves from the work force to look after their new-born or newly adopted child/children and they want to re-enter the work force.
Whatever happened
to "Manpower" and the "Canada Employment
Centre"?
Our name has been changing. Back in the
early '70s our name changed from Manpower to the Canada
Employment Centre (CEC) which fell under the Federal
Employment and Immigration Commission. Just recently our
name changed again to Human Resource Canada Centre (HRCC)
which falls under the Federal department of Human
Resources Development Canada (HRDC).
What is
"Employment Insurance" and how does it compare
to "Unemployment Insurance" or "UI"?
With new federal legislation the term Unemployment Insurance changed to Employment Insurance July 1, 1996 to more accurately reflect the intent of the program.
Copyright
© 1997 Human Resources
Development Canada
Last Updated - 16 February 98
