Overview
This guide walks payroll administrators through the end-to-end process of issuing a Record of Employment (ROE) for departing employees in ZonePayroll. It details how to generate individual or batch ROE XML files within the system and outlines the exact step-by-step submission procedure for uploading those files directly to Service Canada’s ROE Web portal.
⚠️ Disclaimer: This article covers technical system steps for generating an ROE in ZonePayroll. It does not constitute legal, tax, or payroll advice. Compliance with Service Canada requirements is the employer's responsibility.
A Record of Employment (ROE) is required by Service Canada to determine an employee's eligibility for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. Before issuing an ROE, ensure that all final pay and special termination payments (e.g., severance or vacation payouts) have been processed.
For full official guidance on ROE requirements and block-by-block instructions, refer to the Service Canada ROE Guide.
Option 1: Generate a Single ROE (Individual)
Use this option when issuing an ROE for one employee.
Navigate to Payroll Administration > Canada 🇨🇦 > ROE : List.
Click New.
Select the terminated employee.
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Review and confirm all required fields:
Last Day Worked: The final day the employee worked.
Final Pay Period End Date: The ending date of the final pay period.
Total Insurable Earnings and Hours: Ensure earnings align with final pay.
Reason for Separation: Select the applicable code (e.g., Shortage of Work, Quit, Dismissal).
Issuer Phone Number: Confirm issuer contact details.
Click Generate ROE XML and save the file to your computer.
Option 2: Generate ROEs in Batch (Multiple)
Use this method when preparing ROEs for multiple employees at once.
Navigate to Payroll Administration > Canada 🇨🇦 > ROE : Start Batch.
Select the terminated employees requiring ROEs.
Review and validate each entry.
Generate all ROE XML files in one batch.
Note: Only employees with completed final pay and "active" status will appear in the ROE list.
Submitting to Service Canada
Log in to the Service Canada Sign-In Page using your organization's credentials and access code.
From the ROE Web Main Page menu, click Upload a Payroll Extract File.
In Step 1: Select File(s), click Choose Files and select your saved
.xml(or.blk) file.
In Step 3: Complete the Declaration, check the required box certifying that the information provided is true.
Click Upload File(s) to complete the submission.
Upon a Successful Upload, click View progress to monitor the processing status of your submitted ROE.
⚠️ Important Next Step Once the ROE XML is generated and submitted, complete the termination step on the employee record (HR Tab > Termination Info). Do not set the record to Inactive until after that tax year's T4/RL-1 slips have been issued at year-end.