Options to stop work for child care needs (cerb? EI?)
I have been working from home since mid March with two young children. My wife is working from home as well. As she makes more money than me and is a lot busier, I have not been able to work very much and am spending most of my energy on child care and home schooling, and I'm having a hard time managing it. I can't get much work done and it's causing stress at home, the kids aren't getting enough attention, etc. I can't carry on like this for 4 more months waiting for school to re-open...
I am in a bit of a unique situation in that i am currently on a 1 year LWOP from a fed PS job working a different job. Conveniently, I go back early September, which works out great with the schools (hopefully) re-opening. That also opens up the option of just quitting this job early since I am planing on leaving in September anyway. I feel bad that I'm both not getting a lot of work done and also planning to leave (haven't told them yet). I could of course drag this out getting paid until September but I'm hitting my limit trying to manage this, and don't feel honest doing that anymore.
If I can get EI or CERB I would leave immediately at this point. I'm not sure there's any way for me to claim either though in this situation:
CERB:
Initial news articles said that you could claim CERB to stop working for child care needs, but the official criteria don't mention it and I've seen very conflicting info on the web. Lots of people I see online say they are taking CERB for this reason, but anybody who seems to know anything points out that this doesn't actually qualify. I have yet to see anybody definitively confirm that this would qualify for CERB
EI:
Is there any way I can get EI in this situation? Can I ask to be laid off or let go somehow that would let me claim EI for a few months?
If those aren't options I am preparing to just eat it and quit before September. I've run some numbers and I think I am fine with going July/August with no income, but more than that and I'd have to seriously start eating into RSP savings or something. I could do it but obviously if I can get some sort of benefit to bridge me that would be much better.
Thanks
from the Canada.ca FAQ:
The Canada Emergency Response Benefit is available to those who stop working for reasons related to COVID-19, for example:
You have lost your job;
You are in quarantine or sick due to COVID-19;
You are taking care of others because they are in quarantine or sick due to COVID-19; and/or
You are taking care of children or other dependents because their care facility is closed due to COVID-19.
There may be other reasons related to COVID-19 beyond these examples why you may have stopped working. However, you cannot voluntarily quit your job.
Would this count as voluntarily quitting my job or not?
I am in a bit of a unique situation in that i am currently on a 1 year LWOP from a fed PS job working a different job. Conveniently, I go back early September, which works out great with the schools (hopefully) re-opening. That also opens up the option of just quitting this job early since I am planing on leaving in September anyway. I feel bad that I'm both not getting a lot of work done and also planning to leave (haven't told them yet). I could of course drag this out getting paid until September but I'm hitting my limit trying to manage this, and don't feel honest doing that anymore.
If I can get EI or CERB I would leave immediately at this point. I'm not sure there's any way for me to claim either though in this situation:
CERB:
Initial news articles said that you could claim CERB to stop working for child care needs, but the official criteria don't mention it and I've seen very conflicting info on the web. Lots of people I see online say they are taking CERB for this reason, but anybody who seems to know anything points out that this doesn't actually qualify. I have yet to see anybody definitively confirm that this would qualify for CERB
EI:
Is there any way I can get EI in this situation? Can I ask to be laid off or let go somehow that would let me claim EI for a few months?
If those aren't options I am preparing to just eat it and quit before September. I've run some numbers and I think I am fine with going July/August with no income, but more than that and I'd have to seriously start eating into RSP savings or something. I could do it but obviously if I can get some sort of benefit to bridge me that would be much better.
Thanks
from the Canada.ca FAQ:
The Canada Emergency Response Benefit is available to those who stop working for reasons related to COVID-19, for example:
You have lost your job;
You are in quarantine or sick due to COVID-19;
You are taking care of others because they are in quarantine or sick due to COVID-19; and/or
You are taking care of children or other dependents because their care facility is closed due to COVID-19.
There may be other reasons related to COVID-19 beyond these examples why you may have stopped working. However, you cannot voluntarily quit your job.
Would this count as voluntarily quitting my job or not?
