Maternity and parental leave
To be eligible for the maternity or parental allowance, an executive must meet all the following conditions:
- have at least 6 months of continuous employment before starting their maternity/parental leave without pay
- provide proof that they have applied for and are eligible to receive maternity, paternity, parental or adoption benefits under Employment Insurance (EI) or the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan
- sign an agreement stating that they will return to work when their leave without pay expires, and work for at least as long as the period for which they receive a maternity allowance and/or a parental allowance (only 60% of the period of parental leave if the executive selects the extended option).
The maternity leave is only available to the executive who is pregnant, while the parental leave can go to either parent or be shared. The total leave (maternity and parental leave) cannot exceed 52 weeks for the standard option or 78 weeks for the extended option.
The maternity leave ends no later than 18 weeks after the date or the expected date of childbirth. Benefits are 93% of salary less benefits received benefit under EI or the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan.
During the parental leave benefits are 93% of salary under the standard option or 55.8% of salary under the extended option, less benefits received under EI or the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan.
See below for details.
Maternity leave
Maternity allowance payments made according to the Supplemental Unemployment Benefit Plan generally consist of:
- 93% of the executive’s weekly rate of pay for the waiting period of one week for EI maternity benefit, if applicable; and
- for each week the executive receives maternity benefit under EI or the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan, the difference between 93% of their weekly rate of pay and the maternity benefit.
Parental leave
An executive who becomes a parent through the birth or adoption of a child is granted parental leave without pay. Two options are available for parental leave:
- The standard option, which consists of up to 37 consecutives weeks within the 52 week period following the birth or adoption of the child; and
- The extended option, which consists of up to 63 weeks in the 78 week period following the birth or adoption of the child.
At the request of the executive and at the discretion of their manager, the leave may be taken in two periods.
Note: Under the Employment Insurance (EI) benefits plan, parental allowance is payable under either the standard option or the extended option. However, under the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan, the parental allowance is payable only under the standard option.
Once an executive elects the standard or extended option and the weekly benefit top-up allowance is set, the decision is irrevocable.
Parental allowance payments made according to the Supplemental Unemployment Benefit Plan generally consist of the following.
Standard option
- 93% of the executive’s weekly rate of pay for the waiting period of one week for EI parental benefit, if applicable; and
- For each week the executive receives parental, paternity or adoption benefits under EI or the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan, the difference between 93% of their weekly rate of pay and the parental, paternity or adoption benefit.
- When the executive has received the full 18 weeks of maternity benefits and the full 32 weeks of parental benefit under the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan, and remains on parental leave without pay, an additional allowance of 93% of their weekly rate of pay per week, for two weeks.
- When the executive has received the full 35 weeks of parental benefit under EI and remains on parental leave without pay, an additional allowance of 93% of their weekly rate of pay, for one week, unless the executive has received the allowance for the waiting period of parental benefit mentioned above, for the same child.
Under this option, the maximum combined – maternity and parental leave – cannot exceed 52 weeks.
Extended option
- 8% of the executive’s weekly rate of pay for the waiting period of one week for EI parental benefit, if applicable; and
- For each week the executive receives parental, paternity or adoption benefits under EI, the difference between 55.8% of their weekly rate of pay and the parental, paternity or adoption benefit.
- When the executive has received the full 61 weeks of parental benefit under EI and remains on parental leave without pay, an additional allowance of 55.8% of their weekly rate of pay, for one week, unless the executive has received the allowance for the waiting period of parental benefit mentioned above, for the same child.
Under this option, the maximum combined – maternity and parental leave – cannot exceed 78 weeks.