Participant Questions

To ensure your financial assistance continues without interruption, report any address, email and/or phone number changes to your local ministry office immediately.

If you are receiving Employment Insurance (EI) then you must advise Service Canada of your new address, email and/or telephone number.

No. Ontario Job Creation Partnerships participants are not employees of the ministry, or the project sponsor. You will not receive a Record of Employment (ROE) after you exit the program. You will, however, receive a T4E.

Address your questions or concerns to the OJCP sponsor first. If the issue cannot be resolved to your satisfaction, contact your local ministry office.

Yes. The OJCP sponsor must provide workplace safety insurance coverage for the OJCP participant. OJCP sponsors who are required to register with the Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) must do so. Information about the type of employer who is required to register for WSIB coverage can be found on the WSIB website. OJCP sponsors who are not required to register with the WSIB may volunteer to do so. If the OJCP sponsor has not registered for WSIB coverage, they must have alternate workplace safety insurance coverage through a private insurance carrier.

OJCP sponsors must file workplace insurance claims in the event of a workplace injury to an OJCP participant. Sponsors who have insurance through the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) may elect to file claims under either their own coverage or under the ministry’s WSIB coverage. If OJCP sponsors file claims under the ministry’s WSIB the experience ratings and premiums for their own coverage will not be affected.

OJCP sponsors with alternate workplace safety insurance coverage (an alternative to WSIB insurance) must file claims under their insurance coverage.

It is the responsibility of the OJCP participant to notify the OJCP sponsor in the case of any injury/disease the same day that it occurs, or as early as possible. The OJCP sponsor must immediately notify the ministry, even if they are claiming under their own coverage. These procedures must be clearly explained to participants and sponsors at the outset of the OJCP project.

The OJCP sponsor is responsible for notifying the ministry (and WSIB) when the OJCP participant has returned to the project.

Funding for individual participants performing activities under an OJCP project comes from two sources:

• Federal Employment Insurance (EI) benefits for those participants who are active EI claimants; and
• Provincial financial assistance from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD).

Possible combinations of financial assistance are as follows:

1. If you are currently receiving EI, you will continue to be paid EI as determined by Service Canada.
2. If your EI ends while you are participating in the OJCP project, the ministry will provide financial assistance, if eligible, for the remaining duration of your participation in the project.
   1. The amount of OJCP financial support to OJCP participants is tied to the Ontario Minimum Wage. The calculation of financial support to OJCP participants is 40 x the current Ontario Minimum Wage (per week).
3. If the amount of your EI benefits is less than 40 x the current Ontario minimum wage (per week) the ministry will provide additional funding to equal the rate of 40 x the current Ontario minimum wage, per week.
4. If you are not currently in receipt of EI but are approved to work on an OJCP project you will receive financial assistance, if eligible, paid through MLITSD for the duration of your participation in the project.
5. In some cases, participants may receive an additional wage top up. This is voluntarily offered and paid directly by the project sponsor.

Under the Income Tax Act, all financial assistance provided by the ministry to participants is to be included as income for income tax purposes. A T4E (Statement of Employment Insurance and Other Benefits) will be mailed to you from the ministry after the end of each calendar year that you are on the OJCP project. Specific questions regarding taxes should be addressed directly with the Canada Revenue Agency.

Please advise your local ministry office of any address change during or after completing your OJCP participation to ensure your T4E will be mailed to the correct address.

No. Employment Insurance regulations exclude employment participation on OJCP projects from insurable employment. All income from participation on OJCP is non-insurable and hours spent on the project cannot be used toward establishing future Employment Insurance claims.

This is to be addressed during your application process with your Employment Service provider or Integrated Employment Services provider before you start OJCP.

You must contact the appropriate Enforcement Services staff at the Family Responsibility Office to let them know of your plans to start OJCP activity and that you will be receiving financial assistance.

Working part time while participating in an OJCP project should be discussed with your ministry contact.

If you are receiving Employment Insurance and have employment income from another source, such as a part-time job, the income would have to be reported. You should contact Service Canada.

If you have questions regarding your Ontario Job Creation Partnerships Agreement, contact the ministry.

If you have questions regarding your Employment Insurance claim, please call Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) Employment Insurance Benefits website or call them at 1-800-206-7218 (TTY: 1-800-529-3742).

Yes, as arranged with your project sponsor.

The intent of the Ontario Job Creation Partnerships (OJCP) program is to assist participants in returning to full-time employment. The project sponsor must allow participants reasonable time off to attend job interviews and participate in other job search related activities (for example, 1 to 2 days off in a 2-week period). Please note that this is not time that the participant needs to make up.

Participants are obligated to continue to job search for full-time employment while they are participating on an OJCP project.

If you are going to be absent for any reason, contact your OJCP project sponsor immediately and notify your local ministry office for follow up purposes. Your project sponsor is responsible for establishing policies to deal with participant absences due to illness or injury.

In the case of a lengthy absence: Notify your local ministry office.

A project cannot be put “on hold” until a participant returns as this would negatively affect project objectives, activities, outcomes, and completion.

Your financial assistance will be impacted.

Note: If you are in receipt of Employment Insurance benefits and absent for any reason you must also contact Service Canada.

Speak to your local ministry office and your OJCP project sponsor. You must notify Service Canada of your withdrawal if you are still in receipt of Employment Insurance.

Yes. You can be terminated at any time from the OJCP program, according to the reasons listed in your OJCP agreement, and/or if you do not comply with all the terms and conditions of the OJCP Agreement. It is important that you read and understand your responsibilities outlined in your agreement.

Please contact Service Canada as your Employment Insurance claim may be impacted if you have been terminated from the OJCP program.

Yes, the ministry will contact you to complete a voluntary questionnaire at exit, three, six and 12 months after receiving services to record follow up on outcomes of your participation.

Contact your Employment Service provider or Integrated Employment Services provider for assistance. Information is available on the Employment Ontario page on Ontario.ca. You can also live chat with ministry representatives or contact us at:

• Telephone: 416-326-5656
• Toll-free: 1-800-387-5656
• TTY: 1-866-533-6339
• Email: contactEO@ontario.ca