My employer said there was full work until next year and I should be ready to never have an early day this summer because we were so fully booked up.
Come down the line there have been early days, days of no work, and down to the day to day of “hey is there work today?” (And I admit I have accepted to take some half days here and there to come home, rest and support my very pregnant partner)
SEPERATE ADDITION:. It's taken many weeks, sometimes months to get documents from them, employment letters, benefits, etc. Comes up with lies about how fucked up the benefits company is, and then later that it's a problem with another staff member. Then tells me it's because my email address looked like an underscore instead of a period. To which I replied I've provided my email multiple times over the phone, in person, text, and through email correspondence.
To try and supplement the no work, I was hoping to at least bump it up with my parental leave benefit, for which I applied for shortly after my child was born. (And my employer said they had my ROE written up and sent out that day) I was flexible with my employer to try and come up with a plan that suits us best, hoping to get a minimum 20 hrs, whether it's actual work, estimates or flyer routes, to which they said we can build a plan, and to connect each day to make something work for the both of us. After that, I followed up each day (including when I was ready to go back) and two days after for them to say, nothing in the schedule, follow up tomorrow. To which I followed up that next day asking if there's anything else I can do, estimates, routes etc. They said to hold off and wait to the next day. Next day comes around and I follow up again as I saw a small job scheduled and they said they would rather give full days so there would be no work that day either.
We talked and I asked if there was anything in the future than can provide what I need and they said “I can't tell you, it is what it is now and probably will be like that for a while”
I responded saying I needed something that provided more clarity and consistency to be able to make ends meet even if its temporary, because I'd love to return to work if they can provide me the hours and more consistent communication and they said they fully support me and that they aren't angry because they themselves too are parents who went through similar situations. Times are tough and we all have to do what we need to do for our families.
Calls me today basically arguing almost to the point of yelling stating that it's illegal to submit my ROE (which was already written up and sent) saying I quit and then get benefits for my child, and that im screwing around the system. That they are doing me a favor by submitting it as a parental leave, and that they don't want to do it because they will get in shit. That there's no reason for me to leave because they have been able to provide consistent full time 30hrs of work, to which I replied that full time legally is 35 minimum. Said they were going to give me a cash advance because they know its been tough (that i would have to pay back when im back working full time or if i quit they retain my paycheck // to which i didnt accept) That people have fucked them over in the past and that they doesn't want me coming back to the company and stated my position would not be available because that means he has to fire somebody because theres only 3 or 4 people willing to work for them and they can't fuck anyone else over by firing them, and again reiterating that this is not how EI works and processing ROE. Threatening me that if I come back to the company and say I want my position back, that they would come at me with everything they have with their lawyers.
From what I have seen, you can take parental leave, maternity, compassionate care, and quit your job giving minimum 4 weeks notice and still recieve benefits.
I applied for Parental Leave last week, with the intent to work some hours and balance my time and effort at home to support my family. But after today, I'm definitely not going back to that job.
I'm 100% sure that I'm still eligible for parental leave benefits because I applied for them last week with the intent to stay on with the company.