Parent Time

So your baby is on his or her way, and it’s time to start arranging your maternity leave. In Canada maternity leave is made up of two segments, maternity leave and parental leave. Pregnancy leave can only be taken by the mother, and paternity leave can be taken by the mother, father, adoptive parent or common-law spouse. Read on to unravel the basics of maternity leave.

Qualifying

Do you qualify for maternity or parental leave?
In order to qualify for maternity or parental leave you need to have worked a minimum of 600 hours in the last year (or since your last Employment Insurance (EI) claim). For maternity leave you must have logged 13 consecutive weeks with one employer, and for parental leave you need to have been working for 17 weeks with one employer. You’re also required to provide your manager with written notice of when you plan to begin your leave.

Where does the money come from?
Part of the money comes from the government and part may come from your employer. The government portion is covered by EI, where you are eligible for 55 percent of your weekly earnings to a maximum of $447 per week. Some employers may offer a supplementary unemployment benefit plan as part of your compensation package, which can help top up the money you receive from EI.

Originally published in Today's Parent, November 2009