The Overview

A Record of Employment (ROE) typically provides information on the applicant’s employment history. In the view of many employees, it is the single most important document used for establishing a claim for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits.

Service Canada uses the information given on the Record of Employment (ROE) for determining whether people are eligible for receiving Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. In case they find that the person is eligible for receiving Employment Insurance (EI) benefits, they will also determine other details such as:

• How much the benefit amount should be and,

• The duration for which the benefits will be payable

The authorities use the Record of Employment (ROE) for ensuring that no individual misuses the Employment Insurance (EI) funds. They use the Record of Employment (ROE) for ensuring that no individual receives the benefits payable in error as well. It is worth mentioning that Service Canada typically keeps Records of Employment (ROEs) for a span of 11 years. This is in accordance with the:

• Access to Information Act

• Privacy Act and,

• Info Source

The authorities typically require employers to issue a Record of Employment (ROE) each time one of their employees experiences an interruption of earnings. A four-chapter explanation of this follows in separate documents. The authorities have made certain changes to the Record of Employment (ROE) Web Agreement. For details on these changes and their explanations, readers would need to visit the appropriate webpage on the website of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).

Employers have two main ways for issuing Records of Employment (ROEs) i.e. electronically or on paper. However, it is worth mentioning that electronic Records of Employment (ROEs) are more efficient than paper Records of Employment (ROEs).

The Electronic Records of Employment (ROEs)

The employers would need to issue electronic Records of Employment (ROEs) via:

• The Record of Employment on the Web (ROE Web)

  • Using this for issuing electronic Records of Employment (ROEs), employers would be able to produce their Records of Employment (ROEs) online

  • This enables them to avoid having to fill out paper forms

  • The Record of Employment on the Web (ROE Web) is a secure, web-based application that enables employers to create, submit and make amendments to as many as 1,200 Records of Employment (ROEs) at once

  • Thus, by using the Record of Employment on the Web (ROE Web), employers will be able to save time, reduce their paper burden and improve the quality and the accuracy of their Records of Employment (ROEs)

  • The Record of Employment on the Web (ROE Web) gives the employers the flexibility of issuing their Records of Employment (ROEs) based on their own pay cycles as well

  • The authorities have provided several online reference guides to enable employers to obtain further details on the deadlines for issuing Records of Employment (ROEs), completing the Record of Employment (ROE) form and the user requirements for the Record of Employment on the Web (ROE Web)

• The Record of Employment Secure Automated Transfer (ROE SAT)

  • The Record of Employment Secure Automated Transfer (ROE SAT) is a system that many large companies typically use for submitting as many as 10,000 Records of Employment (ROEs) at one time to Service Canada in a secure electronic format

  • Many Payroll Service Providers (PSPs) use the Record of Employment Secure Automated Transfer (ROE SAT)

  • The Record of Employment Secure Automated Transfer (ROE SAT) application serves to protect the confidentiality, integrity and authenticity of data exchanged using Public Key Infrastructure, which typically uses the highest levels of security

  • By using the Record of Employment Secure Automated Transfer (ROE SAT), employers can derive the following benefits, including:

    • Submitting Records of Employment (ROEs) in bulk

    • Saving time and enhancing their levels of productivity

    • Increasing the filing flexibility

    • Improving the quality and the accuracy of their Records of Employment (ROEs)

    • Reducing the paper burden and,

    • Helping their employers obtain quicker Employment Insurance (EI) payments

  • For using the Record of Employment Secure Automated Transfer (ROE SAT), employers would typically need to build their own interfaces based on the specifications provided by Service Canada

  • For obtaining these interface specifications and to get started with the Record of Employment Secure Automated Transfer (ROE SAT), employers would need to contact the Employer Contact Centre

  • The authorities have provided the Record of Employment Secure Automated Transfer (ROE SAT) 4.0 – User Guide to give additional information and instructions on this service

The Paper Record of Employment (ROE) Forms

Some employers typically submit electronic Records of Employment (ROEs). These employers would no longer need to provide paper copies to their employees. In addition, they no longer need to send copies of these documents to Service Canada. Employees will be able to view their Records of Employment (ROEs) issued electronically by visiting My Service Canada Account. It is worth highlighting that the Record of Employment on the Web (ROE Web) is more user-friendly than ever before. By using the new Record of Employment on the Web (ROE Web) Assistant, employers would be able to obtain the appropriate guidance needed to produce the electronic Record of Employment (ROE).

What Should Employers Do with Each Copy of a Paper Record of Employment (ROE) Form?

In this scenario, the employers would need to:

• Give the first copy (i.e. the original) to the employee as proof of insurable earnings for claiming Employment Insurance (EI) benefits

• Send the second copy (i.e. the blue copy) to Service Canada as specified on the form and,

• Retain the third copy (i.e. the white copy) in their files for six years

The authorities have provided a guide titled ‘How to Complete the Record of Employment (ROE) Form’. Employers would be able to obtain the required guidance from this guide. The guide would help them avoid the common mistakes that others typically make.

How Can Employers OrderPaper Record of Employment (ROE) Forms?

The authorities require Canadian employers to contact the Employer Contact Centre. The Centre would help them obtain paper Record of Employment (ROE) forms. Similarly, the authorities require non-Canadian employers to have their places of business registered and operating within Canada to contact the Employer Contact Centre. The Centre would help them obtain paper Record of Employment (ROE) forms.

On calling the Employer Contact Centre, the employers would need to provide various details such as:

• Their 15-character payroll account number (PAN) issued by the Canada Revenue Agency and,

• The name, address and telephone number of their business

It is worth mentioning that the authorities no longer accept orders for paper Record of Employment (ROE) forms via fax.

Note:

• Not many employers would be aware of what the payroll account number (PAN) is

• They would be able to find the payroll account number (PAN) on the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) PD7A Statement of Account for Current Source Deductions form

• Some employers might not have a payroll account number (PAN)

• These individuals would need to request for one from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)

How Can Employers Request for a Copy of an Already Issued Paper Record of Employment (ROE)?

Service Canada typically retains Records of Employment (ROEs) for a span of 11 years. After 11 years, the officers destroy the Records of Employment (ROEs). As such, these Records of Employment (ROEs) would no longer be available. To request for copies of already issued Records of Employment (ROEs), the employers would need to send certain information to the authorities. They would need to send these details by mail or fax. The details would typically include:

• Their business name and address

• Their mailing address (if different from the main address)

• Their phone number

• Their 15-character payroll account number (PAN) issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)

• The name and Social Insurance Number of the employees for which the employer is requesting the Records of Employment (ROEs)

• The years for which the employer is requesting the Records of Employment (ROEs)

• The reason for the request and,

• The employer’s signature

The mailing address for sending these details is:

Record of Employment copy request

Service Canada

PO Box 14000

Bathurst (NB) E2A 5A3

Fax: 1-506-548-7149

The Termination of the Record of Employment Laser Print (ROE Laser)

Service Canada terminated the Record of Employment Laser Print (ROE Laser) on April 30, 2008. This was because the manufacturer could no longer support the technology. The authorities have already notified employers that continue to submit laser Records of Employment (ROEs) that Service Canada would no longer accept these laser Records of Employment (ROEs) with effect from October 26, 2013.

What are the alternatives to the Record of Employment Laser Print (ROE Laser)?

Service Canada continues to encourage employers to transition to the Record of Employment on the Web (ROE Web). This is the most efficient way by which employers can issue Records of Employment (ROEs).

If employers still have a supply of Record of Employment Laser Print (ROE Laser) serial numbers, can they continue to use them?

The answer is no. The authorities encourage employers to destroy their supply of serial numbers. They encourage employers to start using the Record of Employment on the Web (ROE Web) at the earliest possible.

Will employers continue to have access to Laser Print Records of Employment (Laser ROEs) that they have issued?

For this, the employers would need to have access to an electronic version of the Laser Print Records of Employment (Laser ROEs) that they have issued earlier. However, this is applicable only as long as the Record of Employment Laser Print (ROE Laser) software remains installed on their computers. It is worth mentioning that if employers upgrade their computers, the Record of Employment Laser Print (ROE Laser) software might no longer function. This is why the authorities urge employers to print and store copies of all the Laser Print Records of Employment (Laser ROEs) that they have issued in the preceding six months. This is especially so if they plan to:

• Update their computers or,

• Remove the Record of Employment Laser Print (ROE Laser) software

Additional Information

The Variable Best Weeks Initiative has affected employers. It has done this by changing the calculations used for determining the Employment Insurance (EI) benefit rates. At present, this initiative uses the client’s highest weeks of earnings over the qualifying period that typically spans 52 weeks. In the past, the authorities had based the rates on the client’s average weekly insurable earnings in the 26-week period prior to the claim. In addition, the authorities would typically exclude from this calculation weeks with no earnings or weeks where the client earned less than $225.

Some readers might be interested in obtaining further details on the calculations used for determining Employment Insurance (EI) benefit rates. For this, they would need to check the webpage titled ‘The Variable Best Weeks for Employers’ given on the website of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). The authorities have also provided weekly pay-periods worksheets for the employers to use.

Related article:

• Understanding the Record of Employment (ROE) Form
• Block-by-Block Instructions for Completing the Record of Employment (ROE) Form
• Instructions for Special Groups of Workers

Need for information?

• The Guidelines for Enquiries About Insurability
• Useful Websites for Employers
• The Guidelines for Ordering Records of Employment (ROEs) or Speaking to a Record of Employment (ROE) Supervisor
  
• Annex 1 – The Summary Chart for the Types of Earnings, Insurable and Non-Insurable Earnings and Hours and Pay Period Allocation