# Can I use a certified copy of my old pay sheets to prove my earnings?

- Jurisdiction: Canada
- Practice area: Employment Law
- Published: 2026-11-03
- Last updated: 2026-11-03
- Canonical: https://lawasked.com/ca/employment-law/can-i-use-certified-copy-my-old-pay

## Question

I am currently dealing with a dispute regarding my unemployment benefits here in Canada. Back in August of last year, I worked for a local construction firm for about six months, earning roughly $3,200 per month. My employer recently went out of business, and I am having a hard time proving my exact total contributions and average weekly wages to the government office. I have been trying to sort this out for three weeks now, but the office is asking for original paper records from my former boss, which is impossible since the company has closed down. I did manage to get an inspector from the labour department to look at some digital files and old ledgers that were handed over during a recent audit. The inspector gave me a formal, certified printout of those wage records and my pay sheets to help my case. I am worried because I don't have the actual original signed documents or the boss's personal signature to show them. If I present these certified copies and the official statements from the inspector regarding my pay cheques and earnings, will the authorities accept them as proof of my income without me needing to find the original physical books or the person who signed them?

## Summary

Yes, you can likely use those certified printouts. Under the Employment Insurance Act, documents like pay sheets or ledgers that are certified by an inspector are considered valid evidence of the facts they contain without needing the original signatures.

## Analysis

Based on the facts you provided, the certified printout you obtained from the labour department inspector should be sufficient to prove your earnings of approximately $3,200 per month. 

The Employment Insurance Act specifically addresses this situation regarding evidence. The law states that a document appearing to be "an employer’s register, books, pay sheets, records of wages, ledgers, accounts or other documents, and (ii) to be certified by an inspector or other person employed in the administration of this Act to whom the documents mentioned in subparagraph (i) were produced under this Act, is evidence of the facts appearing in the document without proof of the signature or official character of the person appearing to have signed the certificate and without further proof" [1]. 

In plain language, this means that because an official inspector has looked at the digital files and ledgers from your former construction firm and provided a certified printout, the government must accept the information in those documents as true. You do not need to find your old boss or provide the original signed paper books to prove your weekly wages or total contributions [1]. 

Furthermore, if the documents were provided during an inspection, the law allows for copies to be made. A document appearing to be "certified by the Commission or an authorized person to be a copy made under this subsection is evidence of the nature and content of the original document and has the same probative force as the original document" [2]. This means your certified printout carries the same weight as the original records the company used to keep [2].

It is important to note that while these rules apply to your Employment Insurance dispute, state, provincial, or local laws may add further rules regarding employment records. You should check with your local provincial labour board for additional protections.

## Statutory citations

- Employment Insurance Act, S.C. 1996, c. 23, s. 134 - Evidence of documents, etc. [in force] (https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/E-5.6/index.html#s-134)
  > a document appearing (i) to be, or to be a copy of or extract from, any of the following, namely, an employer’s register, books, pay sheets, records of wages, ledgers, accounts or other documents, and (ii) to be certified by an inspector or other person employed in the administration of this Act to whom the documents mentioned in subparagraph (i) were produced under this Act, is evidence of the facts appearing in the document without proof of the signature or official character of the person appearing to have signed the certificate and without further proof.
- Employment Insurance Act, S.C. 1996, c. 23, s. 126 - Certificates [in force] (https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/E-5.6/index.html#s-126)
  > any document appearing to be certified by the Commission or an authorized person to be a copy made under this subsection is evidence of the nature and content of the original document and has the same probative force as the original document would have if it were proven in the ordinary way.

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