51°µÍø

Ginette Marcoux |  Special to the 51°µÍø

As our economy returns to somewhat normal and workers are being called back to their places of employment, hiccups are happening due to processes not being followed when it comes to recall notices, schedule changes, refusal of work, etc. 

Misunderstandings are bound to happen by both employer and employees, so communication is critical to ensuring a smooth transition back to work. 

Returning to work should be workers' primary goals while summer is here, as this is the time to earn money and collect insurable earnings so that you will qualify for Employment Insurance in the fall if you are a seasonal employee. 

We currently have over 300 jobs on our , the time to work is now. 

Q. I was laid off in mid-March and recalled at the beginning of April but had no childcare and indicated I had no childcare. At the end of May my employer again sent out a recall notice and I did not answer because my circumstances had not changed and now I have been terminated from my position. Is this legal? 

A. An important aspect of this scenario is that employees that are laid off are expected to respond to emails or communications from their employers. Failure to do so, may result in JOB ABANDONMENT which in other words means that you have quit your job. Employers must do a seven day Recall Notice in writing and employees must respond as to whether they can return to work or not. It is important to note that parents of children that require childcare do have job protected leave and their employment cannot be terminated during this protected leave. 

Q. How long will CERB be available? 

A. CERB has been extended until the end of August. Workers need to be very careful about refusing work while there is work in Jasper, keep in mind that by October, we will be heading into the slow season with high unemployment levels. We currently have 300+ jobs posted on our Job Board. 

Q. What if I think I have been overpaid by CERB? 

A. When the economy shut down at the beginning of this pandemic, the federal government moved to roll out money quickly to Canadians with not a lot of checks and balances in place. This resulted in many Canadians being overpaid by CERB when they thought that they were on regular EI benefits working part time hours. Service Canada is now recommending that you hold onto any overpayment money and wait for the Canadian Revenue Agency to send you an overpayment invoice. 

Q. Will I have to pay taxes on CERB? 

A. Yes, CERB money is considered taxable income. If you collect CERB for the six month period - you will owe approximately $3,000 - $3,600 back in taxes. It is strongly recommended that individuals set aside money for next year's tax return - otherwise you could face some real hardships paying it back.   

For inquiries or questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Jasper Employment and Education Centre at (780) 852-4418. 

We encourage both employees and employers to send in questions to [email protected] and we will answer them in this column. All submissions are confidential.