EI sickness benefits

EI sickness benefits are federal payments to eligible workers who can't work because of illness, injury or quarantine. The employer issues the ROE.

Also called: EI sick leave, EI medical benefits, sickness benefits

What EI sickness benefits means

EI sickness benefits are payments from the federal Employment Insurance program for workers who cannot work for medical reasons, such as an illness, an injury or a quarantine. Service Canada decides who qualifies, how much they get and for how long.

The benefit is income, not job protection. Whether the employee's job is protected while they are off sick depends on the employment standards law where they work. Several provinces now give long, unpaid, job-protected leave for a serious illness, which lines up with the time an employee might be on EI sickness benefits.

As the employer, you do not pay EI sickness benefits. You issue the Record of Employment (ROE), keep records of what you paid the employee, and plan for the absence.

How it works

When an employee goes off sick and has, or expects to have, 7 consecutive days with no work and no insurable earnings, issue an ROE. If you pay the employee yourself for a while, through paid sick days or a wage-loss plan, the ROE is completed after those employer payments end. For an electronic ROE on a weekly, biweekly or semi-monthly pay cycle, the deadline is 5 calendar days after the end of the pay period in which the interruption happens.

If your business has a short-term disability plan, find out from your insurer how it works alongside EI sickness benefits before the first claim, so you can tell employees what to expect and in what order.

Service Canada sets its own proof requirements for an EI claim. That is separate from any note you ask for under your own policy. Several provinces now limit when you can ask for a sick note for short absences, so check the medical notes entry before you set a rule.

Common mistakes: forgetting the ROE because the employee "is coming back soon", treating time on EI as a resignation, and ending the job while the employee is on a protected leave. Keep in touch, agree how often you will check in, and start return-to-work planning before the expected return date.

Is it the same in every province?

EI sickness benefits are federal and work the same way across Canada, including Quebec. What differs by province is job protection: for example, Ontario and British Columbia give up to 27 weeks of unpaid leave for a serious illness, Saskatchewan protects up to 27 weeks in a 52-week period, and Manitoba gives up to 17 weeks.

Example: A surgery and a long recovery in Victoria

Owen runs a 10-person landscaping company in Victoria and pays staff biweekly. His crew lead Sam needs knee surgery and his doctor says he will be off for about 12 weeks. Sam has worked for Owen for three years and has already used his 5 paid sick days this year.

Owen confirms that British Columbia gives up to 27 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for a serious personal illness or injury, with a medical certificate. He issues an ROE within 5 calendar days after the end of the pay period in which Sam's absence starts, tells Sam to apply for EI sickness benefits, and books a call for week 10 to talk about a return-to-work plan.

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Questions about EI sickness benefits

Do I pay an employee who is on EI sickness benefits?

No. EI sickness benefits come from the federal program. You only pay what your own policy or plan promises, such as paid sick days or a disability plan.

Is an employee's job protected while on EI sickness benefits?

EI itself does not protect the job. Job protection comes from your province's employment standards law, which in several provinces gives long unpaid leave for a serious illness.

When do I issue the ROE for a sick employee?

Once the employee has, or will have, 7 consecutive days with no work and no insurable earnings. If you are paying sick pay, complete the ROE after those payments end.

Official sources

General information for Canadian employers, not legal advice. Rules differ by province and territory and change over time, so check with your provincial employment standards office (or the federal Labour Program if you are federally regulated) before you rely on it. See employment standards by province.

Checked against official sources on 4 November 2026.