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Teacher work often extends beyond regular school hours. Many teacher professional responsibilities can only be accomplished during evenings or weekends.
When employment ends or a teacher accesses maternity or parental leave, employers produce a Record of Employment (ROE) that the teacher uses for filing a claim for employment insurance (EI).
Substitute teachers, teachers who work less than 1.0 FTE and teachers who work only a portion of a full year may not have enough hours to qualify for EI benefits. EI requires a certain number of hours (depending upon teaching status and location within the province).
The Alberta Teachers’ Association has assisted teachers in making successful EI claim appeals relating to a shortage of hours. These teachers kept accurate and detailed records of any additional hours they spent outside their normal instructional hours and were able to prove that they qualified for benefits.
If you are a teacher working as a substitute, part-time or less than a full school year, you are advised to keep a record of any additional time worked so that if you ever file for EI and are denied benefits based on a shortage of hours, you will be able to establish that you have worked additional hours.
Start a weekly record of hours worked. Record additional time (such as lesson planning, classroom and materials maintenance, curricular activities, marking, report cards, supervision, consultations with teachers, consultations with others, administration duties—related to administrative designations only and professional development).
For information, visit www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/home.shtml (click on "Individuals" then "Life Events" then "Unemployment" then "Employment Insurance") or www.teachers.ab.ca (click on "Employment Insurance" under Salary and Benefits) or contact the ATA’s Teacher Welfare at 447-9400 (Edmonton area); toll free at 1-800-232-7208 (from elsewhere in Alberta).
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