EI maternity benefits and job contract

[Frollo888]

Hi guys !
I'm in BC and I would like some help understanding EI maternity eligibility...
especially the first point " you have to be employed "

Do you have to be employed for all the duration of the maternity leave (15 weeks) ?
or just at the moment you apply for it ?

I will deliver the baby in August, but my current contract will ends in July.
So If I apply for example, one week before my contract ends, will I be fine ?

Thanks !

 

[pie_vancouver]

You apply online after you have stopped working not before.

 

[Frollo888]

You apply online after you have stopped working not before.

I meant to stop working one week before the end of my contract

 

[pie_vancouver]

You are fine as long you have the required hours.

 

[Frollo888]

I have the hours.
I'm just wondering if my contract was suppose to be as long as the 15 weeks of the leave, or if it's a problem that it will ends 1 week after I stop working.

Do you have to be employed for all the duration of the maternity leave (15 weeks) ?
or just at the moment you apply for it ?

 

[Frollo888]

where I come from, part of the leave is payed by the company, so if you ask for 6 months of maternity leave but your contract is shorter then the gov will stop paying you the day your contract ends because you became unemployed

 

[pie_vancouver]

Do you mean the top-ups that employers pay employees while on EI?
You still have one year mat leave, but if you decide to go back to work so you have more money, you can, just inform EI and they will stop your EI payments because of work.

 

[Frollo888]

No, In my country when you ask for maternity leave you DO NOT go to work... but you need to stay under a job contract the whole time in order to get the money from the maternity leave.
you need to prove that the employment relationship is still valid.
The employer will keep your job position, so after the maternity you can go back to work since your contract is still valid.
If your contract is shorter you usually get an extension, because otherwise you will result as unemployed, and you will not get the money anymore.

you DO NOT get the salary + EI.
They money you get as EI will be 80% of your salary, so if your salary was 1.000 you will get 800.
BUT these money are either full anticipated from the employer
or
collected 50% from the employer and 50% from the gov (the employer will give 400$ to the gov, then the gov put other 400$ and pay you the full amount)
That's why you need a contract that covers you the whole time.

NOW
here in Canada, I will not get any extension of my job contract.
it will expire while I will be under the "maternity leave" status, and I'm wondering if this will be a problem or not.

I hope is clear enough

 

[pie_vancouver]

NOW
here in Canada, I will not get any extension of my job contract.
it will expire while I will be under the "maternity leave" status, and I'm wondering if this will be a problem or not.

I hope is clear enough

It's not a problem if you have a job or not, you have the hours, you are fine.

 

[Frollo888]

It's not a problem if you have a job or not, you have the hours, you are fine.

Thank you

 

[canuck78]

Also pretty common for women to start mat leave around 38 weeks. It seems you were working on contract but if you are in a permanent position your job or an equivalent is guaranteed when you return. In some cases (often more specialized or management level) employers pay you the difference between your salary and what you are receiving through EI. That is called a top-up. You usually have to pay the money back if you leave your job in the few years after you return from maternity leave but it is a great perk. Definitely wouldn't say it is common but there are quite of few people that have access to the benefit.