Want to grab information on Maternity leave in Canada? Motherhood is the best experience for women because you get lots of happiness, joy, and fun with your child, and you can find your childhood with the help of your childbirth.
But on the other hand, women have to go through several changes like post-matrum depression1, stress, lack of sleep, and less time for your meantime.
fter the child’s birth, there are a lot of hormonal changes in a woman’s life that disturb her completely, whether physical or mental, that has a very bad impact on her life.
Sometimes a birth-giving mother felt so depressed that she couldn’t recognize herself. So after giving birth to a child, proper care and attention should require a mother.
That’s why the Government of Canada has come up with certain rules and regulations that help the women get maternity leave to care for their child and their health properly without disturbing their careers. So are you ready to acquire such information about maternity and parental benefits? If yes, then stick to our article.
With this article, you will get to know about maternity leave Canada benefits, how you can apply for them, what documents you need for a while applying for parental leave in Canada and, how long you can take this leave in detail, how much money you get on maternity leave, and many more things in detail. So don’t waste your time and grab the information as much as possible.
About Maternity Leave in Canada
Maternity leave2 refers to the paid leave given to women living in Canada after childbirth. They need to rest for some time, so they cannot be able to continue their work at that time, so they should be on leave. In those circumstances, companies and offices are liable to pay women for a certain period. After this period, they return to work, and the paid leaves finish.
In many countries, maternity and parental leave don’t pay off. Still, the Canadian government has decided to do that for newborn mothers to get the proper rest and enjoy their family life with careers.
1. Tips for Parental Leave
We are providing you with some tips and tricks that will be useful for applying for maternity leave in Canada:
1.1 Planning Your Leave
The most important thing is to understand how many weeks period you want for want after your child’s birth. Make a list of your leaves because most companies will ask you this question, and you have to get the answer ready for that. It is good to relax your mind after many physical and mental disturbances.
1.2 Gain Some Knowledge
Maternity and parental leave are provided by the govt of Canada, but there is no fixed rule for all as it depends on company size and income. So it is better to have proper knowledge of it so that one can make misuse your maternity leave.
1.3 Know Your Finances
Financial decision3 play an important role in everyone’s life, so it is better to know your financial status than go on leave because some companies don’t pay for Parental leave if you go for a long time.
1.4 Inform Your Employer Earlier
If you are planning to take maternity leave, then it is good to have prior notice to your employer so that they should be well prepared and in your absence, they can find out the temporary source for their workout.
You will get your position as it is after completing the maternity leave; otherwise, if you do not inform them earlier, then there is a chance of losing your job.
2. What to Do on Maternity Leave?
This is one of the precious times you can enjoy with your child, creating a really strong relationship between you and your child. With this fantastic article, we share some special things that you can do with your child.
2.1 Read Books
Reading books refreshes your mind, but if you tell some stories to your child, they are also getting interest in them start recognizing the things very easily.
2.2 Exercising
Doing exercise is to make your body fit and healthy. During maternity leave, take some time to do light exercise like cycling and walking that refresh your mind and keep you mentally and physically fit.
2.3 Give Some Time for Your Hobby
If you are going through hormonal changes or any other health-related health issue, your hobby can give you real happiness because this is the thing you love the most. Spend some time on your hobby because you can only make your child happy if you are happy.
3. Maternity or Parental Benefits
- It makes the new mother feel refreshed and energetic.
- You don’t have to sacrifice your career.
- New mothers can have enough time for their newborns to take care of.
- It helps in empowering women.
- Increases gender equality in society.
- It helps to reduce your work.
- Adoptive parents can easily create a bond between them.
- Reduce stress.
- You get a shorter period of rest from work.
- It gives you temporary financial assistance.
Above are so many maternity or parental benefits that you get at the time of your child’s childbirth or before that. Other than this, employers also benefit because it reduces the cost of hiring for them.
3.1 Money You Receive for Parental Leave
This is one of the important questions for Canadian parents. No need to worry as we have come up with the deep research ad investigation and found that the Canadian govt can offer maternity benefits like you A week of $595 or 55% percent of your weekly pay.
But this is not a fixed salary for your Parental leave as it changes by the government of Canada every year. Moreover, you have to pay the taxes on maternity leave. If you need more clarification, you can contact the Service Canada centre or visit the official website of the government of Canada.
You are paid 55% of your average weekly insurance wage income, but in recent 2022, it was extended to $638 per week. Let’s understand it with the help of an example.
suppose your maximum insured income is $55000, then you will receive the $595, or else if your income is maximum insured income is $65000 still, you will get the same amount, i.e., $595.
In short, it can be said that whether you have the highest income you will get the same income as the insured income.
3.2 Side Effects of Maternity and Parental Leave
- If you work in a small company, maybe they cannot afford you.
- After a long break, you are not well aware of the current trends.
- You get attached to your child, which will create disturbance in your work.
- If you want more leaves other than the specific criteria then you get the unpaid leave facility.
4. Eligibility for Maternity Leave in Canada
To get maternity benefits, you should go through certain terms and conditions that you should follow to get Parental leave for you in Canada:
4.1 Working Hours
Your working hours should be 600 hours before maternity leave; otherwise, you are not eligible for that.
4.2 Biological Mother4
This is another condition for maternity leave, if you are the child’s biological mother, you have the right to get it, but in the case of an adopted child, the condition doesn’t apply to you.
4.3 Employment Insurance Condition
Your salary should be deducted under the employment insurance scheme5; only you can apply for maternity or parental leave.
4.4 Employment Duration
You should have continuous employment for six months before starting your maternity leave.
4.5 Sign The Employment Agreement
If you fulfill all the terms and conditions and provide proof it is very easy for you to apply for parental leave in Canada. If you have a complicated pregnancy, you are also eligible for other than maternity leave.
5. Let’s Understand Maternity and Parental Leave
There is a huge difference between both of them. Let’s help you with this article. Maternity leaves are when mothers cannot work due to their expected pregnancy. The paid maternity leave starts 12 weeks before the child’s birth and continues after 17 weeks of childbirth.
Whereas parental leave is given to one parent as well as two parents whose baby has recently been born or newly adopted parents so that they can give extra care to them that is not possible while working in-office hours.
Parental leave is applied for biological, adopted, or legal parents. Parental benefits are classified into two sections, i.e., standard benefits and expected parental benefits.
Under standard parental benefits, you are eligible for 35 weeks. You have to use this leave within 52 weeks to apply for extended parental benefits; it lasts for 61 weeks and can be used within 78 weeks.
Standard parental leave offers you 55% of your earnings, so overall, you get $595 per week, and on expected parental leave, you get the benefit of 33% of your earnings, so you get a maximum amount of $357. So it is better to utilize these leaves on time. If you do not utilize this leave, it may expire, so it is better to avail of it in the first week.
Moreover, suppose two parents are sharing parental benefits. In that case, the leaves may be extended for standard parental benefits, it will increase to 5 weeks other than 35 weeks, and for extended parental leave, it will increase to 8 weeks.
Also, make sure that both parents can choose the same parental benefits, either standard or extended; otherwise, you are not eligible for this.
6. How Long Is Maternity Leave in Canada?
This is one of the awaited questions for you. Don’t panic; have some patience because we have done deep research on this and can finally say that maternity leave in Canada is available for you maximum of 15 weeks and that is paid leave But remember that you should be her biological mother; otherwise, if you have adopted a child, then parents will be useful to you.
If you have a complicated pregnancy and need more rest, you can apply for 35 weeks of leave under maternity and parental leave, and this leave can be shared between the two parents. So fill up your application form with proper care and attention. You can also extend the maternity and paternity leave if your employers agree.
If you want to have more leaves then you can go for sickness benefits in case of complicated surgery of child. You will definitely get the sickness benefits from the employer side. Other than this if you want more leave then you have to go under unpaid leave.
7. Applying Conditions for Parental Leave in Canada:
You should apply for pregnancy leave as soon as possible until you stop working because you applied more than four weeks above; then, there are the chances that you will miss out on the benefits of maternity leave. So don’t delay much and get the best benefit out of it.
7.1 Collect the Necessary Documents
Documents play a vital role in the time of applying for maternity leave. You should know which types of documents you have to submit. Make sure that there is no spelling mistakes information in the documents.
7.2 Personal Details
For getting maternity or parental benefits, they need your details like your name, partner’s name, age, date of birth, address, date of employment, email address, and social insurance number. Don’t give spelling mistakes information otherwise; your application will be rejected.
7.3 Bank Information
The next step is to provide your service Canada account details like bank account number, bank name, and transit number to get the full maternity benefits. Your medical expenses also require banking credential for ei parental benefits.
7.4 Child Details
Expected date of childbirth or if you have given the birth then date of birth. If the actual date of birth is different, contact the service Canada center and tell them the child’s actual date; otherwise, you may face certain difficulties in receiving maternity benefits.
7.5 Fill Out the Online Application Form
After giving all the details including Service Canada account details submit the online application form; if you don’t submit it simultaneously, then again, from starting, you have to enter all the details. The details you have entered saved for three days afterward get deleted.
7.6 Confirmation Code
When you submit your file successfully, you will get a personal access code from the service center of Canada.
If you are outside Canada, you are also eligible for parental leave and benefits, But missing information cannot give you the desired maternity leave.
8. Important Note for Maternity Leave in Canada:
Unfortunately, if a miscarriage happens to a pregnant woman, she is also eligible for maternity leave, but she is not eligible for parental leave. Whenever an employee returns to work, they should give the prior notice in their office that she can join this on the specific date; otherwise, without intimation, termination may happen. So it is better to give them accurate information.
9. Other Circumstances That Can Affect Your Maternity Leave:
Some special circumstances can affect your parental leave in Canada in you should contact the Service Canada center; they will reach out and help you the best.
9.1Leave
Maybe the circumstances happen where you have to change your leave either to extend or decrease the leave in that situation; you need to contact the service center in Canada.
9.2 Complications to Your Health
You may have complications in your surgery like a c-section6 or other major injuries in that case; also, you have to extend your leave, so it is better to contact the service center in Canada.
9.3 Child Health Complications
May, at the time of birth, your child faces some complications; in that case, you also have to extend your Parental leave.
9.4 Miscarriage
If your miscarriage happens after 20 weeks, you are eligible for maternity leave; otherwise, it comes under sick leave.
9.5 Death of the Child
If in case, there is a loss of your child, you should be eligible for maternity benefits.
9.6 Multiple Births
If you give multiple births, like twins, or triplets like that in those cases, also you have to extend your maternity or parental leave with the help of the service center of Canada.
Closing Thoughts
If you have given birth to your baby or you have a newly adopted child parents and want to apply for maternity or parental leave in Canada.
Maternity leave in Canada is a right of every woman. But you have gone through with specific criteria.
Hope you have a great time and have a more fun time with your child and get the benefit of paid maternity leave in Canada. Still, you can write us in the comment section anytime if you require any information. We are always happy to answer your queries.
- Miller, Laura J. “Postpartum depression.” Jama 287.6 (2002): 762-765. ↩︎
- Canaan, Serena, et al. “Maternity leave and paternity leave: Evidence on the economic impact of legislative changes in high income countries.” (2022). ↩︎
- Shahriar, Mohammad Shibli, et al. “Financial decision making and forecasting techniques on project evaluation: a planning, development and entrepreneurial perspective.” Academy of Entrepreneurship Journal 27.4 (2021): 1-7. ↩︎
- Kleven, Henrik, Camille Landais, and Jakob Egholt Søgaard. “Does biology drive child penalties? evidence from biological and adoptive families.” American Economic Review: Insights 3.2 (2021): 183-198. ↩︎
- Rotar, Laura Južnik. “Evaluation of the effectiveness of employment programme on young unemployed people.” Engineering Economics 32.1 (2021): 60-69. ↩︎
- Ríos-Covian, David, Philippe Langella, and Rebeca Martín. “From short-to long-term effects of c-section delivery on microbiome establishment and host health.” Microorganisms 9.10 (2021): 2122. ↩︎
Last Updated on by Sathi Chakraborty
I appreciate the Canadian government for being so thoughtful and giving importance to women’s health care and well-being. Maternal leave is very essential for the working women’s because it gives new mothers with the vital time and support required to bond with their newborns, encourage their infants’ well-being, and make sure a healthier work-life balance, contributing to both family and professional success.