Source: https://www.csj.qc.ca/commission-des-services-juridiques/infos-juridiques/chroniques-juridiques/en/2013/81/Misconduct-and-employment-insurance
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 07:05:48+00:00

Document:
Section 30 of the Employment Insurance Act1 stipulates that a person cannot receive employment insurance benefits if they lose their job because of their misconduct or if they voluntarily leave their job without just cause. The notion of misconduct has been defined in the case law over the years, because it is not defined in the act or the regulations.
1) Illegal union activitiesFor example, this may involve participating in an illegal strike.
3) InsubordinationThis primarily involves an employee refusing to comply with the employer’s orders, instructions or rules, or disobeying them. For example, an employee who refuses to perform a task that usually forms part of his functions4 or refuses to work reasonable and properly paid overtime may be guilty of misconduct in certain circumstances.
4) Hostile conductEvery employee must act towards his employer, his colleagues, clients and the general public in such a manner as to avoid improper behaviour that may be perceived as an insult, harassment or provocation.
A lack of respect, rude behaviour, insolence, insults, threats and harassment may, if they constitute offensive behaviour that is incompatible with the performance of the functions for which their perpetrator was hired, constitute misconduct.
An assault obviously constitutes misconduct, unless the employee was provoked and had to defend himself.
These are examples of the many possible situations that could be considered to be misconduct and exclude a claimant from receiving employment insurance benefits.
It should be noted that in order to constitute misconduct, the alleged act or omission must be wilful or deliberate or so reckless as to approach wilfulness.
The purpose of the provisions of the Employment Insurance Act is to provide financial support to employees who lose their job through no fault of their own and to encourage their reintegration into the job market.
Note: The decisions cited below are available on the website of the Federal Court of Appeal at: http://decisions.fca-caf.gc.ca/en/index.html.
1 S.C. 1996, c. 23.
2 Canada (Attorney General) v. Bergeron, 2011 FCA 284.
3 Canada (Attorney General) v. Caron, 2009 FCA 141.
4 Canada (Attorney General) v. Jolin, 2009 FCA 303.
5 Canada (Attorney General) v. Doucet, 2012 FCA 105.
6 Lepretre v. Canada (Attorney General), 2011 FCA 30.
7 Canada (Attorney General) v. Roberge, 2009 FCA 336.
8 Canada (Attorney General) v. Levesque, 2010 FCA 238.

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