Should my reference letter mention 4 weeks unpaid leave?

[RegularGuy]

Hello all,

My manager is drafting a job reference letter for me under CEC application. I just want to know whether he needs to mention 4 weeks unpaid leave I took from my job to visit my home country in it? I have completed 56 weeks on my job including 4 weeks of unpaid leave, which I guess satisfies minimum 52 week paid employment under CEC. Should my manager just put the start date and present date , or should he also add a line mentioning about my unpaid leave? I would really appreciate a response.

 

[jemdill]

Hello all,

My manager is drafting a job reference letter for me under CEC application. I just want to know whether he needs to mention 4 weeks unpaid leave I took from my job to visit my home country in it? I have completed 56 weeks on my job including 4 weeks of unpaid leave, which I guess satisfies minimum 52 week paid employment under CEC. Should my manager just put the start date and present date , or should he also add a line mentioning about my unpaid leave? I would really appreciate a response.

No need to mention that..
Just get a Reference letter shows your start date, salary, responsibilities, resignation, NOC code etc..

 

[jes_ON]

My manager is drafting a job reference letter for me under CEC application. I just want to know whether he needs to mention 4 weeks unpaid leave I took from my job to visit my home country in it? I have completed 56 weeks on my job including 4 weeks of unpaid leave, which I guess satisfies minimum 52 week paid employment under CEC. Should my manager just put the start date and present date , or should he also add a line mentioning about my unpaid leave? I would really appreciate a response.

I think it's a good idea to be upfront and include it in the LOE. Here's why -

Let's say (for example) your letter states that your annual salary is $52000. If you had a 4-week unpaid leave of absence, your other documents (like your T4) might show annual earnings of $48000. Even though that's not a huge difference, it's an unexplained discrepancy.

In my opinion, you want to make it easy for the VO to say yes - don't make more work for the VO to try and figure it out. Since it's not a problem, why not explain it?

Having said that, you are cutting it very close with just the bare minimum of 52 paid weeks. Technically, you've met the one year requirement. But if you can afford to, it's a good idea give yourself a couple of weeks of a cushion, "just in case." I can't tell you the number of people I've seen refused because they miscalculated ...

 

[RegularGuy]

I think it's a good idea to be upfront and include it in the LOE. Here's why -

Let's say (for example) your letter states that your annual salary is $52000. If you had a 4-week unpaid leave of absence, your other documents (like your T4) might show annual earnings of $48000. Even though that's not a huge difference, it's an unexplained discrepancy.

In my opinion, you want to make it easy for the VO to say yes - don't make more work for the VO to try and figure it out. Since it's not a problem, why not explain it?

Having said that, you are cutting it very close with just the bare minimum of 52 paid weeks. Technically, you've met the one year requirement. But if you can afford to, it's a good idea give yourself a couple of weeks of a cushion, "just in case." I can't tell you the number of people I've seen refused because they miscalculated ...

I have completed 52 weeks excluding 4 weeks unpaid last month and i am expecting ITA in February. Which means I will be accumulating 1 or 2 more weeks before ITA, may be more. Should i still need LOE? I just want to keep documentation to the minimum.

 

[RegularGuy]

Also i was paid hourly wage, so my reference letter only has my hourly rate of pay plus the average number of hours worked each week.

 

[jemdill]

Also i was paid hourly wage, so my reference letter only has my hourly rate of pay plus the average number of hours worked each week.

I dont think its necessary to show that on your reference letter which will make things complicated..
But its up to you..

 

[Gregor.Samsa]

I have completed 52 weeks excluding 4 weeks unpaid last month and i am expecting ITA in February. Which means I will be accumulating 1 or 2 more weeks before ITA, may be more. Should i still need LOE? I just want to keep documentation to the minimum.

Better obtain LOE after ITA, to show a bit more time than the minimum

 

[Stanlee]

Hello all,

My manager is drafting a job reference letter for me under CEC application. I just want to know whether he needs to mention 4 weeks unpaid leave I took from my job to visit my home country in it? I have completed 56 weeks on my job including 4 weeks of unpaid leave, which I guess satisfies minimum 52 week paid employment under CEC. Should my manager just put the start date and present date , or should he also add a line mentioning about my unpaid leave? I would really appreciate a response.

No you don't have to mention that as the Application Guide requires you to mention only 'any extended periods of leave (i.e., more than one month)' and in your case it is not more than one month.

 

[jes_ON]

No you don't have to mention that as the Application Guide requires you to mention only 'any extended periods of leave (i.e., more than one month)' and in your case it is not more than one month.

Good point -

For RegularGuy -

Sorry - Letter of Employment (not letter of explanation) is always required. Whether you explain the leave of absence is up to you . But it will NOT hurt to do so.