--- title: What Changed With ROE Coding Under the New Tariff Support EI Measures? description: Canada's tariff support package includes four EI measures that depend on accurate ROE coding. Learn what each measure requires in Block 16 and Block 17, where errors most commonly occur, and how to make sure your submissions reach Service Canada without delays. image: https://blog.payworks.ca/hubfs/BlogHeader_Tariff-ROE-Coding_2026_555431096_EN.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://blog.payworks.ca/what-changed-with-roe-coding-under-the-new-tariff-support-ei-measures#maincontent) [Skip to footer](https://blog.payworks.ca/what-changed-with-roe-coding-under-the-new-tariff-support-ei-measures#footer-en) ![ ](https://blog.payworks.ca/hubfs/BlogHeader_Tariff-ROE-Coding_2026_555431096_EN.jpg) # What Changed With ROE Coding Under the New Tariff Support EI Measures? Oct 26, 2026 ![Payworks](https://blog.payworks.ca/hubfs/Payworks%20February%202019/Images/inTheLoop-ring-150px.png) Payworks Share this article [![Share this on Facebook.](https://blog.payworks.ca/hubfs/Payworks%20February%202019/Images/button.gif)](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://blog.payworks.ca/what-changed-with-roe-coding-under-the-new-tariff-support-ei-measures) [![Share this on Twitter.](https://blog.payworks.ca/hubfs/Payworks%20February%202019/Images/button.gif)](http://twitter.com/share?text=A%20great%20article%20from%20Payworks!&url=https://blog.payworks.ca/what-changed-with-roe-coding-under-the-new-tariff-support-ei-measures) [![Share this on LinkedIn.](https://blog.payworks.ca/hubfs/Payworks%20February%202019/Images/button.gif)](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.payworks.ca/what-changed-with-roe-coding-under-the-new-tariff-support-ei-measures&title=&summary=&source) **Key takeaways** - The federal tariff support package includes four EI measures, all of which depend on a correctly coded Record of Employment to function as intended. - A waiting period waiver, a separation payment measure, a long-tenured worker extension, and a new voluntary-quit provision each have specific ROE implications for employers. - An error in Block 16 or Block 17 doesn't just create paperwork — it can delay or block an employee's access to benefits entirely. This article breaks down what each measure means for your ROE process and how to make sure your submissions land cleanly. - [What are the four EI measures that affect ROE coding?](https://blog.payworks.ca/what-changed-with-roe-coding-under-the-new-tariff-support-ei-measures#four-EI-measures-ROE-coding) - [What are the most common ROE errors and how do they happen?](https://blog.payworks.ca/what-changed-with-roe-coding-under-the-new-tariff-support-ei-measures#common-ROE-errors-how-they-happen) - [How does Payworks help you get ROEs right?](https://blog.payworks.ca/what-changed-with-roe-coding-under-the-new-tariff-support-ei-measures#Payworks-ROE-Manager-get-it-right) - [Frequency asked questions: ROE coding under the tariff EI measures](https://blog.payworks.ca/what-changed-with-roe-coding-under-the-new-tariff-support-ei-measures#FAQ-ROE-coding-tariff-measures) If you've ever processed a [Record of Employment](https://blog.payworks.ca/the-abcs-of-roes-what-when-why-and-how-we-can-help?hsLang=en-ca), you know the stakes. An error doesn't just create paperwork — it can block an employee from receiving the EI benefits they're entitled to, sometimes for weeks. With four measures in the [federal tariff support package](https://blog.payworks.ca/canadas-7.5-billion-tariff-relief-package-what-every-business-owner-needs-to-know-and-how-to-be-ready?hsLang=en-ca) now hinging on what's in your ROE, the margin for error is smaller than ever. The good news is that getting it right isn't complicated if you understand what each measure requires. Here's what changed, what it means for your ROE process, and best practices so your submissions get accepted the first time. | **Record of Employment (ROE)** is mandatory document that Canadian employers must complete and submit to Service Canada for every departing employee, regardless of whether that employee intends to apply for EI benefits. It records insurable earnings and insurable hours, and is what Service Canada uses to determine whether an employee qualifies for EI benefits, for how much, and for how long. | | --- | ## What are the four EI measures that affect ROE coding? The tariff support package introduced one new EI provision and extended three existing ones. Each depends on specific, accurate data in the ROE. “Under the temporary measure, the waiting period is waived for all new claims for EI benefits that start between March 30, 2025, and October 9, 2027.” *(Government of Canada, 2026)* For the latest on any changes, including period dates, please visit the [temporary EI benefits page](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/temporary-measures-for-major-economic-conditions.html). ### 1. EI waiting period waiver The one-week EI waiting period continues to be waived for workers affected by tariffs, meaning employees can access benefits from their first week of unemployment rather than serving an unpaid waiting period. For employers, this doesn't change what goes on the ROE — but it does mean that any errors have faster consequences, because workers are accessing benefits immediately. There is no waiting period to buffer a correction. ### 2. Separation payment measure Workers can receive EI benefits without first exhausting their severance or vacation pay. ROE Block 17 (Separation payments) must accurately report all [separation amounts](https://blog.payworks.ca/everything-you-need-to-know-about-roes?hsLang=en-ca) — including vacation pay, pay in lieu, severance pay, and stat holiday pay — with the correct pay periods attached. If the amounts or periods are wrong, Service Canada may delay the benefit start date or require resubmission. ### 3. Long-tenured worker extension Workers with long employment histories are eligible for up to 20 additional weeks of EI regular benefits, bringing their maximum entitlement to 65 weeks. Eligibility depends on accurate multi-year insurable hours data in Block 15C of the ROE. If your payroll system has maintained clean historical hours data, this should auto-populate. If it hasn't, that's a gap worth addressing before you need to issue an ROE. ### 4. Reviewing only the most recent reason for separation Under the new provision, workers who voluntarily left a previous job are not penalized [when their most recent layoff is involuntary](https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2026/08/support-for-canadian-workers-and-businesses-affected-by-us-tariffs.html). Under the temporary measure, only the most recent reason for separation will be reviewed if the EI claim starts between October 11, 2026, and October 9, 2027. The ROE for the current employer must clearly reflect the involuntary nature of the separation in Block 16 (Reason for Issuing). Note that Service Canada may contact the former employer directly to obtain details about the worker's previous departure, so accurate record-keeping on both sides of the employment history matters. ## What are the most common ROE errors and how do they happen? Even experienced payroll teams encounter ROE errors. Here are the ones that matter most under the current measures: ### Wrong reason code in Block 16 The voluntary-quit measure makes this riskier than before. If a worker left their previous job voluntarily but was laid off from their current role, the ROE for the current role needs to reflect the involuntary separation. Getting this wrong can affect the worker's eligibility for the enhanced benefits. ### Incorrect or missing separation payments in Block 17 Severance, vacation pay, and pay in lieu all need to be reported with the correct amounts and pay periods. Errors here don't just delay benefits — they can trigger a Service Canada review. Under the separation payment measure, these amounts still need to be accurately reported even though they're no longer deducted from EI benefits. ### Last day paid vs. last pay period ending date This is a common one. If the final pay date falls past the final pay period ending date, Service Canada may interpret this as outstanding wages still owed. It's an error that's easy to make and hard to catch without real-time validation. ### Missing or incomplete insurable hours for part-time or casual workers Long-tenured worker eligibility depends on accurate multi-year insurable hours. If your system hasn't been capturing hours consistently for part-time or casual staff, the ROE may be incomplete — and the worker may miss out on additional benefit weeks they're entitled to. ## How does Payworks help you get ROEs right? Payworks' ROE Manager is built to take the guesswork out of this process — because when an employee is waiting on benefits, there's no room for workarounds. When you create a ROE in Payworks, the system auto-populates employee information, insurable earnings, and insurable hours from your existing payroll data. You select the appropriate reason code in Block 16, and the system validates your entries in real time — flagging common errors before you submit, not after Service Canada flags them. Draft mode lets you save a ROE in progress if you need to confirm details before submitting. Mass ROE handles batch processing for seasonal businesses or situations where multiple separations happen at once. For the separation documentation side, document signing via Employee Self Service lets employees sign severance acknowledgements or separation agreements digitally. Signed documents are stored in restricted, access-controlled folders — so when you're completing Block 17, the supporting documentation is right there. Everything is submitted directly to Service Canada on your behalf. No separate system, no paper forms, no manual uploads. And with Payworks’ ROE Manager guiding you through every field, rejection rates are exceptionally low — because accuracy is built into the process, not checked after the fact. And because Payworks is a Canadian company, built and serviced right here, our NPI-trained Client Service Team knows Canadian ROE requirements inside and out. When you have a question about how to code a complex separation, you're getting answers in minutes, not days – and forget about submitting a ticket to a global support queue. | **How Payworks helps** Getting ROEs right under these measures starts with having clean payroll data and a system that validates before it submits. Payworks handles both — so when an employee needs their benefits, the documentation is ready. If you'd like to see how ROE Manager works or talk through your current setup, we'd love to help. [Book a demo](https://www.payworks.ca/landing-pages/campaigns/book-a-demo). | | --- | ## **Frequently asked questions: ROE coding under the tariff EI measures** ### What ROE reason code do I use for a tariff-related layoff? For a tariff-related involuntary layoff, the [reason code](https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/ei/ei-list/reports/roe-guide.html#h2.2-3.17) in Block 16 needs to accurately reflect the nature of the separation. Payworks' ROE Manager guides you through Block 16 reason code selection and validates your entry in real time to flag common errors before submission to Service Canada. ### Do I need to change how I report severance on ROEs? The separation payment measure means workers can now access EI benefits without exhausting severance or vacation pay first — but you still need to accurately report all separation amounts in Block 17 with the correct pay periods. If your Payworks earnings are mapped to ROE boxes, amounts paid on the final pay period will automatically populate this screen. ### What if my ROE is rejected by Service Canada? A rejected ROE requires resubmission and delays the employee's access to EI benefits. Payworks' ROE Manager reduces rejection risk by validating entries before submission and flagging errors that would cause a rejection. If a ROE is rejected, you can review, amend, and resubmit directly within the Payworks platform. ### What is the voluntary-quit measure and how does it affect my ROE? The voluntary-quit measure means workers who previously left a job voluntarily are not penalized when their most recent layoff is involuntary. Under the temporary measure, only the most recent reason for separation will be reviewed. The ROE for the current employer must clearly reflect the involuntary nature of the separation in Block 16. Service Canada may contact the former employer directly to verify the worker's employment history, so accurate record-keeping matters on both sides. ROE coding is one piece of a broader compliance picture that's shifting fast for Canadian employers. From EI measures to pay transparency requirements to occupational health and safety obligations, the landscape is changing. If you'd like to dig deeper into what's changing and what it means for your business, [reserve your spot at our HR Compliance Webinar](https://www.payworks.ca/landing-pages/webinars/canada-hr-compliance-webinars-2026). Key topics in this article: [HR Management](https://blog.payworks.ca/tag/hr-management)[Legislation](https://blog.payworks.ca/tag/legislation) These articles are produced by Payworks as an information service. They are not intended to substitute professional legal, regulatory, tax, or financial advice. Readers must rely on their own advisors, as applicable, for such advice. [![What Changed With ROE Coding Under the New Tariff Support EI Measures?](https://blog.payworks.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/BlogHeader_Tariff-ROE-Coding_2026_555431096_EN.jpg?width=300&name=BlogHeader_Tariff-ROE-Coding_2026_555431096_EN.jpg) | October 26, 2026 What Changed With ROE Coding Under the New Tariff Support EI Measures? 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