EI Eligibility (Closed Work Permits) - Pls share your experiences

[adtemporary]

Could people with close work permits (restricted to a specific employer) share their experiences whether they qualify for EI incase they meet all conditions (like hours etc, job loss due to economic conditions etc ). Assumption is that at the time of a layoff the WP is still valid.

[PMM]

Hi

Could people with close work permits (restricted to a specific employer) share their experiences whether they qualify for EI incase they meet all conditions (like hours etc, job loss due to economic conditions etc ). Assumption is that at the time of a layoff the WP is still valid.

The problem is that the work permit is restricted and one of the criteria for EI is willing and able to work, which the restricted work forbids, so the applicant is not "able" so the EI is refused.

PMM

[Leon]

Normally you don't get it and there are many cases of people who didn't get it inspite of appealing and talking to their MP and what not but I know one case of closed work permit people getting EI.  This was a company in Edmonton that had to lay off some workers temporarily.  They made a case to EI that their employees could not be expected to look for jobs when they were only laid off for a month.  It may have changed something that the company is unionized and when laid off, their workers are not under the normal EI obligations of having to look for jobs.  They were approved and got their benefits.  Even though the plan was to call them back after a month, it ended up being 2.  This just happened this spring.  I think March and April they were laid off.

[mcgyver]

what's EI?

[Leon]

Employment Insurance for the unemployed among others.