I'm applying for EI (mat/parental leave) and have a question about the application. The Service Canada rep that I spoke to made this all about as clear as mud.

In the application, it asks me to identify every week of the last 52 weeks when I made less than $225.

The nature of my employment is a variety of 'contracts' (I'm not self-employed though) for marking and working as a research assistant. I have an agreement (sometimes written, sometimes not) for a set amount of hours to be billed, and I submit hours in chunks as the work is being completed. So, for example, for a marking contract I will submit one chunk of hours after I mark Assignment #1, and the second chunk of hours after I mark Assignment #2.

For the most of the past 52 weeks (other than the last 3 months), I did not receive regular bi-weekly payments for set amount of hours per week.

Apparently I have two options: Option 1: Find out from my employers (two employers and a total of 6 jobs/contracts) the weeks when I was paid less than $225 for EACH contract, add up the info from each separate contract, and identify the weeks were I had less than $225 on the EI application. This makes my head hurt just contemplating this phone calls and paper work and math this will require.

Option 2: They will take the average (of what? I don't know) for the last 6 months and pay 55%.

Question: Are there any downsides to just going with Option 2? Most of my EI-eligible income was paid out in the last 6 months, since I had little EI eligible income from May-Aug 2011.

Question: With Option 2, will they still consider the hours worked for the whole 52 weeks? (I'm unsure if I will have enough hours in just the 6 months to qualify).

Question: Will choosing Option 2 over Option 1 delay the processing of my application?

Question: When they ask for income, they mean EI-eligible income, correct? Ie. They are not asking for my non-taxable scholarship income (I just realized I should have asked the Service Canada rep that question).

Thanks for your replies Now I understand the purpose of identifying the short weeks, and I was able to get it sorted out with Service Canada.