Record of employment is an official Canadian document your employer issues when your earnings are interrupted. The ROE gives Service Canada a snapshot of your employment relationship. You may need one after a resignation, layoff, termination, end of contract, or certain kinds of leave of absence. It includes the dates you worked, the hours and earnings that count for EI, your pay period details, and the reason your work stopped or your pay changed. That information helps the government determine whether you qualify for EI, how much you may receive, and how long benefits may last.
If the document is late, missing, or filled out incorrectly, your EI claim can slow down, your leave records can get messy, and your employer may need to go back and correct payroll details under pressure. That is why Service Canada describes the ROE as the “single most important document” in the EI program.
When you need a record of employment
You generally need a record of employment when your work stops or your pay is interrupted. That can happen when you resign, are laid off, are terminated, finish a fixed-term assignment, or go on unpaid leave.
An interruption of earnings may happen when an employee leaves because of pregnancy, illness, injury, retirement, adoption leave, compassionate care leave, or dismissal.
An employer does not wait to issue an ROE only when you plan to apply for EI. If an interruption of earnings happens, the document may still be required even when no immediate claim is expected.
Why the ROE matters
The ROE matters because it connects your payroll history to public benefits. Service Canada uses it to assess EI eligibility, calculate benefit amounts, and verify how long support may continue.
For you as an employee, that means the ROE can affect how quickly your claim moves and whether your employment history is reflected accurately. For your employer, it also sits alongside other exit-related steps like offboarding and final pay decisions. For your employer, it is one of those behind-the-scenes documents that needs to be right the first time. A wrong code or missing pay detail can create extra work fast.
That is still highly relevant in 2026. Statistics Canada reported that 555,000 Canadians were receiving regular EI benefits in January 2026. Clean, timely documentation still matters to a very large number of workers and employers.
Who issues the ROE?
Your employer is responsible for issuing the ROE. If your company works with a payroll provider, the provider may help prepare and submit the form, but the employer is still accountable for the accuracy of what goes in it.
That means the employer needs to make sure the dates, earnings, hours, and reason for interruption all match the payroll record. If you are hiring in Canada from abroad, that usually requires a solid grasp of Canadian employment law as well as payroll rules.
What information an ROE includes
A record of employment includes the key details Service Canada needs to understand your work history and the interruption itself. That usually includes:
- Employment dates. Your first day worked, and your final day paid.
- Pay period details. The payroll periods tied to the end of your employment or interruption.
- Insurable hours and earnings. The numbers used to assess EI eligibility and payment amounts.
- Reason for interruption. A code and explanation showing why your work ended or your earnings changed.
- Employer details. Business information used to confirm the employment relationship.
If one part is wrong, the issue can ripple into benefits processing, internal payroll follow-up, or a formal correction later.
ROE formats you will see
Most ROEs are filed electronically. Employers can submit them through ROE Web or through payroll software that supports secure filing.
Paper ROEs still exist, though they are less common. If the ROE is electronic, you usually view it through My Service Canada Account. If it is on paper, your employer gives you a copy directly.
How employers create and submit an ROE
In Canada, employers usually create and submit ROEs in one of three ways. They can use ROE Web, use payroll software or a payroll provider that sends the data securely, or complete a paper ROE if that format is required.
Electronic filing is the path most employers use because it is faster, easier to track, and simpler to correct if something needs to be amended later.
Deadlines and timing you should expect
Timing matters. If your employer files electronically, the general rule is that the ROE must be submitted within five calendar days after the end of the pay period in which the interruption of earnings occurs.
Your pay cycle can shape when the form is prepared. A weekly payroll schedule may create a different filing timeline than a biweekly or semi-monthly schedule. So if two people stop working on the same day, they may still see different ROE timing depending on the payroll setup.
If you are waiting for an ROE and your EI timeline is already moving, you do not need to pause everything. You can still apply for EI and follow up with your employer while the document is being submitted.
How you access your ROE as an employee
If your employer filed the ROE electronically, you can usually find it in your My Service Canada Account. From there, you can review it, download it, or print a copy for your records.
If you cannot find it, ask your employer whether it was submitted electronically or issued on paper, and ask when it was filed. That usually clears things up much faster than guessing.
Common mistakes that slow things down
Most ROE delays come from small errors that carry bigger consequences. A wrong reason code can change how the interruption is understood. Missing pay period details can affect insurable earnings. Incorrect hours can shape whether someone qualifies for EI in the first place.
Employment dates are another common problem area, especially when someone moves from active work to leave and then to separation over a short stretch. If the departure also involves severance pay, the payroll record needs even more care so the ROE and final pay details line up. If the ROE doesn’t match the payroll record, the employer may need to amend it, and the employee may be stuck waiting in the meantime.
How to fix an incorrect ROE
Start with the specific issue. Compare the ROE with pay stubs, leave records, final pay details, and any separation documents you have. Then ask your employer to correct or amend the ROE.
If you are the employer, speed matters. The sooner you fix the issue, the less likely it is to turn into a delayed claim or a longer exchange with Service Canada.
If benefits are already being delayed, the employee can contact Service Canada and explain that the ROE is missing or incorrect while the employer works on the correction.
Record retention and privacy basics
ROEs are kept for 11 years. That long retention period helps support future claims, corrections, audits, and benefit administration.
Because an ROE includes personal and payroll information, privacy rules matter too. Employers should only share what is required, keep records secure, and make sure the information disclosed is accurate and relevant.
ROE vs. other employment documents
A record of employment is different from a pay stub. A pay stub shows what you were paid during a specific pay period. The ROE explains the interruption of earnings and summarizes the data used for EI.
It is also different from an employment verification letter. Verification letters are often used to confirm your role, job status, or length of employment for a lender, landlord, or another third party. An ROE serves a more specific EI and payroll-reporting purpose.
And while it overlaps with your broader employment record, it is only one part of the file. Employers still keep other documents tied to onboarding, tax reporting, leave, payroll, and offboarding.
FAQs
Is a record of employment only used in Canada?
Yes. The record of employment is specific to Canada and closely tied to the Employment Insurance system.
Can you get EI without an ROE?
You should still apply for EI as soon as you are eligible, even if the ROE has not appeared yet. Service Canada can continue the process while the form is being submitted or corrected.
What counts as an interruption of earnings?
An interruption of earnings usually happens when your work ends or when there are seven consecutive calendar days with no work and no insurable earnings from that employer. Some leave-related situations can also trigger an ROE.
Can your employer issue an ROE if you are still employed but on leave?
Yes. In some cases, a leave of absence can still create an interruption of earnings that requires an ROE.
How long should you keep your ROE?
It is smart to keep a copy of your employment and tax records, especially if you may need to refer back to them when reviewing benefit history or past employment details.
How an Employer of Record (EOR) can help
If you are hiring in Canada through an employer of record, the ROE still matters. The legal setup may look different behind the scenes, but the need for accurate local employment documentation stays the same.
A strong EOR helps you build cleaner leave and offboarding processes from the start, keeps payroll data organized, and helps make sure country-specific forms are handled on time. That is one reason many companies compare an Employer of Record and a payroll provider before deciding how to manage international hiring. In Canada, that matters because an ROE can directly affect access to EI and because timing and accuracy are part of doing the job properly.
Pebl handles ROE with EOR
If you hire in Canada, you still need a clean process for offboarding, leave, and payroll changes. That includes issuing ROEs when an interruption of earnings happens.
This is where consistency helps. When your team is hiring across multiple countries, local paperwork can pile up quickly. One country needs a specific leave form. Another has strict offboarding timing. Canada requires a record of employment when earnings are interrupted. You need the local details handled properly without making your HR team chase documents all day.
That’s where Pebl comes in.
Our AI-powered EOR platform helps you keep those workflows steady while still respecting local requirements. You get support for country-specific documents, timelines, and compliance steps, with a process that stays manageable as your footprint grows.
When you are managing hires across several countries, that kind of support saves time and reduces friction. Your team gets a process that feels more organized. Your employees get cleaner documentation. And you spend less energy untangling avoidable admin problems later.
When you’re ready to expand the easy way, let us know.
This information does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal or tax advice and is for general informational purposes only. The intent of this document is solely to provide general and preliminary information for private use. Do not rely on it as an alternative to legal, financial, taxation, or accountancy advice from an appropriately qualified professional. The content in this guide is provided “as is,” and no representations are made that the content is error-free.
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