Record of employment

Due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, there are changes to this program. Consult the changes for employers – Record of employment (ROE) --> To issue records of employment to your employees sign-in to ROE Web Sign in or register to ROE Web To view your record of employment issued by an employer Sign in or register for My Service Canada Account

On this page:

• About the record of employment
• Electronic records of employment
  • Record of employment on the Web
    • Benefits
    • Features
    • Additional information and guidance

    About the record of employment

    A record of employment (ROE) provides information on employment history. It is the single most important document used by employees to apply for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits.

    Service Canada uses the information on the ROE to determine whether a person is eligible to receive EI benefits, what the benefit amount will be, for how long the benefits will be paid and to ensure that no one misuses EI funds or receives benefits in error.

    As an employer, you are required to issue an ROE each time one of your employees experiences an interruption of earnings. For more information about the ROE or help on how to avoid common mistakes, consult the guide on How to Complete the ROE form.

    Note:

    Employers and third parties are responsible for ensuring that any information they provide to us is accurate and complete.

    If you knowingly make false or misleading statements, you may be subject to penalties.

    Electronic records of employment

    Record of employment on the Web

    You can use record of employment on the Web (ROE Web) to produce your ROEs online, rather than completing paper forms. ROE Web is a secure application that enables you to create and submit up to 1,200 ROEs at once. This saves time, reduces your paper burden and improves the quality and accuracy of your ROEs. Its flexibility allows you to issue your ROEs according to your own pay cycle.

    How to create an ROE Web account

    Register online today to start issuing ROEs electronically and help your employees get quicker EI payments when they need them most. You can create an account online without having to visit a Service Canada Centre to verify your identity.

    The Primary Officer
    This individual is responsible for the ROE Web account and accepts the ROE Web agreement on behalf of a business. This person manages the account, including the organization's details and folder structure. They also grant other representatives access and determine their user rights.

    The Primary Officer of the organization must validate their identity with Service Canada, which can be completed online through their Canadian Revenue Agency account. Otherwise, their identity will need to be validated in person at a Service Canada Centre where photo identification will be required.

    Note:

    If you have previously validated and authenticated your identity as the Primary Officer of another organization in ROE Web, you will not be required to complete this step a second time.

    A valid Canadian or foreign passport, or two (2) government issued identification documents are required (at least 1 must have a photo). For example:

    • Provincial or territorial driver's licence
    • Provincial or territorial health card
    • Provincial or territorial birth certificate
    • Provincial or territorial identification card (that is a photo card with the same security features as a driver's licence)
    • Permanent resident card
    • Record of landing
    • Canadian citizenship certificate
    • Certificate of registration of birth abroad
    • Certificate of Indian Status issued by the Government of Canada
    • Refugee Protection Claimant Document
    • Work permit

    Note:

    Proof of identity with one of the following disclaimers (or similar language) is not acceptable for the purposes of authenticating your identity for Service Canada programs and services:

    • "not to be used for identification purposes"
    • "this is not an official form of provincial identification"

    The Primary Officer of an existing ROE Web account can be changed at any time. The new Primary Officer will need to sign-in to ROE Web, click on the "Replace Primary Officer" link in the left-hand menu and follow the steps.

    Representatives
    Individuals other than the Primary Officer, called "Representatives," can be invited to join your organization's ROE Web account. First, the representative must create an ROE Web profile and receive their user reference number, which can be shared with the Primary Officer of the organization. The Primary Officer can then sign-in to their account, click on "Invite a representative", enter the person's user reference number and follow the steps to complete the process. Once that user signs into ROE Web, they will be able to accept the invitation and access the organization's account.

    Start saving today with ROE Web

    If you're a small or medium-sized employer, Service Canada made filling out a record of employment (ROE) quicker and easier with ROE Web!

    Most bookkeeping is now done electronically. With ROE Web you can say goodbye to printing, postage and storage costs, and you save up to 12 minutes compared to paper.

    It's also more flexible than your paper ROEs because you can align electronic ROEs with your pay cycle. Plus, your employees will receive EI benefits quicker when they need them most.

    It's easier than ever to register online for ROE Web.

    Start saving today!

    Benefits

    Whether you are a business owner, an accountant, a bookkeeper or a payroll processor, Service Canada encourages you to submit ROEs electronically. ROE Web is an efficient, reliable and convenient way to submit ROEs.

    Save time and increase productivity
    You can submit up to 1,200 ROEs at once using the ROE Web payroll extract functionality.

    Amend your saved ROEs easily
    To amend an ROE, you must first search for it. This will bring up the original on the screen and allow you to make changes and submit it to Service Canada. A new serial number will be assigned to the amended ROE.

    Improve the quality and accuracy of ROEs
    ROE Web offers pre-filled information, drop-down menus, built-in edits and online help options to ensure that forms are completed accurately. It validates the information you provide so you know right away if something is missing or needs to be corrected. This means you will receive fewer requests for payroll information from Service Canada.

    Increase filing flexibility
    When you file your ROEs electronically, your filing deadlines are based on your pay cycle, which may allow you more time to produce the ROE.

    Reduce paper burden
    You no longer need to keep paper copies on file or send them to Service Canada. ROE Web allows you to keep, view, amend and print ROEs for a period of 11 years. You don't even have to provide a paper copy to your employees, since they don't need it to apply for EI benefits. ROEs are always available online and employees can view or print copies using My Service Canada Account.

    Payroll service providers can now add new clients to their account online and are not required to fax a copy of the Employer Consent Form to Service Canada.

    Security
    ROE Web is a secure application.

    • To sign in, you must use a Sign-in Partner or a GCKey. These sign-in options allow you to securely conduct business online with various Government of Canada programs and services.
    • Information is encrypted and protected by firewalls that securely separate the outside world from internal computer systems and the ROE Web database.
    • An authentication process verifies the identity of the organization's Primary Officer for ROE Web. Business owners are asked to confirm their Primary Officer is allowed to manage the ROE Web account on their behalf.
    • Each session automatically expires after 20 minutes of inactivity to ensure the data entered is protected.

    The Government must adhere to the Privacy Act, which restricts the information that can be shared between departments and agencies. Each government service or program requests your personal information based on its specific requirements.

    Note:

    Although many individuals can issue ROEs for the same organization, it is important to never share credentials between users. Each user must have their own Sign-in Partner or GCKey to access ROE Web.

    Features

    Payroll extract functionality
    If your payroll software is compatible with ROE Web, you can take advantage of the payroll extract feature and submit up to 1,200 ROEs to Service Canada at once by using a program to extract data from your payroll system and act as an interface with ROE Web. This data can be imported back into your payroll system for amendments. To find out if your payroll system is compatible with ROE Web, contact your software vendor.

    If you develop your own software, consult Version 2.0 of the Payroll Extract File (XML) specifications. Use the ROE Web schema (XSD file) to validate your payroll extract file with the help of a tool capable of validating an XML schema. Then visit the ROE Web demo site to test your payroll extract files and ensure they meet Service Canada's requirements.

    ROE Web assistant
    The ROE Web assistant is helpful for new users and for employers who do not issue many ROEs.

    It asks you questions and uses your answers to complete the form automatically. The Assistant will also answer common questions and guide you through the review process before you submit.

    Import
    The import option extracts pertinent information about your ROEs into an XML file. Data can be imported back into your payroll software for easy reference and record keeping, and can be used to issue amended ROEs in batches.

    Organize your ROEs in folders
    If you issue ROEs for different areas of an organization using one payroll account number, you can organize them in folders in a way that makes sense to you. Please contact the Employer Contact Centre for more information about folders.

    ROE Web demo site
    Anyone with an ROE Web profile is given a user reference number and can access the demo site. Sign-in to ROE Web to see how the application works, practice issuing ROEs online and test payroll extract files with testing Social Insurance Numbers and distinct business numbers assigned to you only for use in the demo.

    Additional information and guidance

    Consult the ROE Web Administration User Guide or communicate with the Employer Contact Centre for any additional information regarding the registration process, technical support for ROE Web, or guidance on the completion of ROEs.

    Record of employment Secure Automated Transfer

    If you or your payroll service provider want to submit electronic ROEs but do not want to use ROE Web, you may want to consider ROE Secure Automated Transfer (ROE SAT), which can transfer large numbers of ROEs at once to Service Canada in a secure electronic format.

    ROE SAT protects the confidentiality, integrity and authenticity of data exchanged using public key infrastructure, which uses the highest level of security. To use ROE SAT, you must build your own interface according to the specifications provided by Service Canada. Please communicate with the Employer Contact Centre for information on ROE SAT.

    Paper ROEs

    Ordering paper ROE forms
    Employers must communicate with the Employer Contact Centre to order paper ROE forms. Service Canada no longer accepts orders for paper ROE forms by fax or mail.

    When you call, you will be asked to provide the following information:

    • Your 15-character Payroll Account Number (PAN) issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). The PAN can be found on the CRA PD7A (Statement of account for current source deductions) form. If you do not have a PAN, you will have to request one from CRA, and
    • The name, address and telephone number of your business.

    What you should do with each copy of a paper ROE form

    • Give the 1st copy (the original) to your employee as proof of insurable earnings for claiming EI benefits
    • Send the 2nd copy (blue) to Service Canada as indicated on the form
    • Keep the 3rd copy (white) in your files for 6 years

    How you can request a copy of an issued paper ROE

    Service Canada retains ROEs for 11 years. To request a copy of an already issued ROE, send us the following information by mail or fax:

    • your business name, phone number and address (and mailing address, if different)
    • your 15-character PAN issued by CRA
    • name(s) and Social Insurance Number(s) of employee(s) for whom ROE(s) is/are requested
    • year(s) of ROE(s) requested
    • reason for request and
    • your signature

    Mailing address

    Record of employment copy request
    Service Canada
    PO Box 14000
    Bathurst NB E2A 5A3

    Fax
    506-548-7149

    Guides and help

    • ROE Web registration and account management
    • ROE Web user requirements
    • ROE Web user guide
    • ROE Web payroll extract guide
    • ROE Secure Automated Transfer (ROE SAT)
    • How to complete the record of employment (ROE) form

    Related services and information

    • Supplemental Unemployment Benefit (SUB)
    • EI Premium Reduction
    • Automated Earnings Reporting System (AERS)
    • Report on Hirings (ROH) – File BH1202
    • Weekly Pay-Periods Worksheet
    • Variable Best Weeks for Employers

    Contact us