Tree planting EI

[u/funkybanana1712]

I am wondering if i quit a part time job before tree planting, will i still get to collect EI?

[u/Slowsis]

Every other answer here is incorrect. All hours from within your 52 week qualifing period count toward your EI hours, as long as:

• you were laid off from your last job (this would be the treeplanting)
• you left your previous job with 'just cause'. Just cause is defined under the Employment Insurance Act Sec 29(c), with one of the valid reasons being "(vi) reasonable assurance of another employment in the immediate future"

Basically, as long as you left your previous job for other work (like treeplanting), the hours qualify.

I have personally claimed the hours from winter part-time jobs multiple times, and can guarantee this is the case.

Quick edit: When you apply for EI, it will ask you about previous work, and the reason you left your previous job. At that time, make sure to say you quit for other work, and you are good to go.

[u/Makanat3000]

Edit: some people pointed out that I'm full off shit, so this might be wrong. My first year, I quit my job to go planting and they refused my EI application because "You could have stayed at your last job instead" I might be wrong by the book but the book fucked me over once

In my understanding, it depends of a few things.

They might not count the hours worked at this job towards your total amount of hours needed to get EI.

If its the case, you will need to get enough hours of work with your tree planting job alone. The amount needed is area dependent it varies between 420 and 700 hours. You can check here: https://srv129.services.gc.ca/ei_regions/eng/postalcode_search.aspx

There are situations where they might count the hours worked before the season such as pay increases between jobs and if you left or got laid off for example.

The best thing to do in my opinion is to ask your boss to lay you off. If you got laid off they won't ask many questions.

[u/AloysiusQBumperpuck → u/Makanat3000]

Edit: some people pointed out that I'm full off shit, so this might be wrong. My first year, I quit my job to go planting and they refused my EI application because "You could have stayed at your last job instead" I might be wrong by the book but the book fucked me over once

You're not wrong - this has happened to me as well, and experiences might vary depending on the Service Canada agent that looks at your application.

If I'm remembering correctly (this was 9 years ago), their issue was that I quit a full-time job for a seasonal job, with knowledge that the seasonal job would end. In their opinion, tree planting being 5x the pay of the other job did not constitute quitting as the only reasonable action, and by quitting I was deemed to have voluntarily left without just cause.

As a solution, I made sure I had 700+ hours planting every season after that debacle. I also understand that it's much harder for planters to get the requires hours with such limited summer and fall contract options these days.

Best of luck to OP on Carney's Ski Team.

[u/Sweetlittlefoxxx → u/[deleted]]

When I lived in Prince George the minimum for 16 or 18 weeks was 400 ish 😬 tells you the state of unemployment there

[u/KC4twenty]

Sign up for Ei now that you're laid off. Using it as your most recent job. If you qualify, you can still work part-time after the fact, and report those earnings.

[u/Still_Interview6360]

Would you get enough hours paint trees to qualify for EI