Please advise your members that if they are going to resign/alternate and expect/want to receive employment insurance, they should confirm what code the employer will be marking on their Record of Employment (ROE).
We have received e-mails from members stating they have been advised by their employer that if an employee resigns under Option 6.3.1. B or C (i) under the WFA the record of employment code to be used is "E - Quit". If an employee is laid off then the code is "A - Shortage of Work".
For employees who volunteer to leave, even though the underlying reason is to achieve reductions, it is deemed to be a quit.
Members should let Service Canada know that their departure is part of a workforce reduction process. If they are denied EI benefits, they should appeal the decision and show up in person for the appeal.
PSAC has demanded that Treasury Board reverse their direction on filling out ROEs within two weeks. If people have lost EI appeals around this issue it's important to share the text of those decisions with the union.