When should i receive my final pay and my record of employment?

In detail

The final pay must include the wages for the hours worked, the vacation pay that has accumulated but has not been taken, and the compensatory indemnity in lieu of notice of termination of employment where one is owed.

The record of employment is the document Service Canada uses to assess eligibility for employment insurance. When it is filed electronically, the time limit is 5 calendar days after the end of the pay period concerned. On paper, the employer must give it to you within 5 days of the interruption of earnings.

You do not have to wait for that document to apply for employment insurance. Service Canada recommends applying as soon as there are at least 7 consecutive days without work and without earnings; pay stubs and T4 slips can serve as proof of employment in the meantime.

What to document

Your last day worked, the date of each payment received and its breakdown, the calculation of the vacation pay that had accumulated, the date you received the record of employment, the reason for separation entered on it, and your written requests to the employer if the document is late. The reason entered on the record is worth noting: it shapes how the employment insurance application is handled.

Official sources

• Act respecting labour standards (CQLR, c. N-1.1) — Légis Québec
• Canada.ca — Employment Insurance: employer responsibilities

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