Many Canadians found it hard to get on CERB and EI during the pandemic.

There have been reports of employers manipulating vulnerable employees into working through the pandemic when eligible for insurance.

(Sarah Kilian/Unsplash)

Employers cannot take away your employment insurance. It’s disheartening to see vulnerable workers being taken advantage of.

Emilia Moreira was threatened by her employer in March 2020,

“I went on to employment insurance. And then my boss was like, if you don’t come back to work, we’re going to take your employment insurance and my mom actually works for employment insurance. And she was like, they can’t do that. Don’t ever go back to work there. That’s awful”

About on third, all workers who earned at least $5,000 in 2019 received CERB payments in 2020. 

Eligible individuals didn’t receive financial support. Could this be a reason why?