Employment Insurance Regulations

9.002 (1) For the purposes of paragraphs 18(1)(a) and 27(1)(a) to (c) and subsection 50(8) of the Act, the criteria for determining what constitutes suitable employment are the following:

• (a) the claimant’s health and physical capabilities allow them to commute to the place of work and to perform the work;

• (b) the hours of work are not incompatible with the claimant’s family obligations or religious beliefs; and

• (c) the nature of the work is not contrary to the claimant’s moral convictions or religious beliefs.

• (d) to (f) [Repealed, SOR/2016-162, s. 1]

(2) However, employment is not suitable employment for the purposes of paragraphs 18(1)(a) and 27(1)(a) to (c) and subsection 50(8) of the Act if

• (a) it is in the claimant’s usual occupation either at a lower rate of earnings or on conditions less favourable than those observed by agreement between employers and employees, or in the absence of such agreement, than those recognized by good employers; or

• (b) it is not in the claimant’s usual occupation and it is either at a lower rate of earnings or on conditions less favourable than those that the claimant might reasonably expect to obtain, having regard to the conditions that the claimant usually obtained in the claimant’s usual occupation, or would have obtained if the claimant had continued to be so employed.

(3) After a lapse of a reasonable interval from the date on which an insured person becomes unemployed, paragraph (2)(b) does not apply to the employment described in that paragraph if it is employment at a rate of earnings not lower and on conditions not less favourable than those observed by agreement between employers and employees or, in the absence of any such agreement, than those recognized by good employers.