Frequently Asked Questions
Question
Q. If I was being harassed by my employer and quit my job, can I still apply for employment insurance benefits?
A. We encourage you to apply for employment insurance benefits and the worker from Service Canada who is assigned to your file will consider all relevant information before making a decision. You would still need the minimum number of hours in your previous 52 weeks to qualify.
Q. I am a farm worker, do I receive overtime benefits?
A. Farm workers are exempt from overtime pay. It's one of the issues that our program continues to advocate to have rules changed.
Q. How many hours do I need to qualify
for employment insurance sickness and regular benefits?
A. For sickness benefits you need 600 hours in the past 52 weeks. For regular benefits its dependent on the rate of unemployment in your region. You will never need more than 700 hours to qualify for regular benefits.
Rules governing benefits can change on short notice.