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Need to leave work because you’re pregnant or have recently given birth or to care for your newborn or newly adopted child? Apply for EI maternity and parental benefits.
Need to leave work because you’re pregnant or have recently given birth or to care for your newborn or newly adopted child? Apply for EI maternity and parental benefits.
Your normal weekly earnings are reduced by more than 40%. When your normal weekly earnings are reduced by more than 40% because of pregnancy or your need to care for newborn or newly adopted children, you may be eligible for EI maternity or parental benefits.
Maternity leave, also called pregnancy leave in Ontario, is a period of time when a pregnant employee is legally entitled to take unpaid time off work for the birth or adoption of their child.
In this article, we will provide you with a simple overview of what maternity and parental leave are in Canada, your eligibility, what allowances and benefits you can receive, and more information based on your province.
Maternity leave. Birth mothers can take up to 16 consecutive weeks of unpaid maternity leave. The number of weeks of leave exceeds the Employment Insurance benefit length by one week in recognition of the waiting period. Employees should be aware of this before taking their leave.
Parental leave is 61 weeks for parents who took maternity leave and 62 weeks for fathers or adopting parents. You must start your parental leave within 78 weeks after your child’s birth or placement. If you are the birth mother, you must take parental leave right after your maternity leave is over unless your employer agrees otherwise.
