Canadian Maternity & Parental Leave

Canada delivers maternity and parental leave through EI (Employment Insurance) special benefits. Unlike Korea, the pay during leave doesn't come from your employer — it comes from federal EI (Quebec residents use the separate QPIP). The job-protected part of the leave is a labour-law right: federally regulated workplaces are covered by the Canada Labour Code, while everyone else falls under their province's Employment Standards Act. The two pieces are designed to dovetail so that EI payments and your protected leave run on compatible timelines.

EI Maternity & Parental Benefits (outside Quebec)

• Maternity Benefits — for the birth parent only, up to 15 weeks, can start as early as 12 weeks before delivery and as late as 17 weeks after. Pays roughly 55% of average earnings from your best weeks.
• Parental Benefits — sharable between two parents. Choose one option at the time of claim:
  • Standard: about 35 weeks at 55% of average earnings (with a weekly cap).
  • Extended: about 61 weeks at 33% (cap scaled accordingly).
  • A shared parental bonus adds +5 weeks (Standard) or +8 weeks (Extended) when the second parent takes a portion.
• Eligibility: generally 600+ insured hours of work in the last 52 weeks (or since your last claim).
• One-week waiting period: the first week of maternity leave is unpaid; if you flow into parental leave, the waiting period normally only applies once.
• Self-employed: must opt in to EI Special Benefits for self-employed to be eligible, with a waiting period after enrolment.

QPIP (Quebec residents)

Quebec has its own scheme — QPIP (Régime québécois d'assurance parentale) — instead of EI maternity/parental.

• Paternity benefit is a separate dedicated track (EI has no paternity-only track).
• Two options — basic vs special — a similar trade-off to Standard vs Extended (longer with lower replacement, or shorter with higher).
• Premiums and applications are run by the Conseil de gestion de l'assurance parentale.
• For the latest weeks and replacement rates, check rqap.gouv.qc.ca.

Job-protected leave under labour law

Separate from EI pay, you have a legally guaranteed unpaid (or paid) leave period:

• Pregnancy leave — usually around 17 weeks bracketing the birth (varies by province).
• Parental leave — usually a set window from the date of birth or adoption, with about 63 weeks for a single parent or longer when shared (varies by province).
• Right to return to the same or equivalent position is guaranteed; benefits like health and pension typically continue.
• Firing or demoting an employee for taking leave is an employment-standards violation.

How the application works

1. About 4–6 weeks before your due date, give your employer written notice of your leave (provincial notice rules apply).
2. After the birth, your employer issues a Record of Employment (ROE) into the EI system.
3. You apply through My Service Canada Account for EI maternity/parental — and pick Standard or Extended.
4. Submit bi-weekly reports on any other earnings or return-to-work status.

Things newcomers commonly miss

• Work permit holders can pay premiums and receive benefits, but if your work permit expires, payments may stop too — manage your renewals carefully.
• Standard vs Extended is a one-time choice. Once selected on the first claim, you generally can't switch for that birth. Both parents must pick the same option for shared weeks to mesh.
• Employer top-up: some employers offer a SUB plan or in-house top-up that bridges the EI gap for a period. Worth negotiating at hire.
• Quebec residents are on QPIP, not EI. If you've moved between provinces, confirm which scheme applies based on residence and workplace.

Official guidance: Canada.ca: EI maternity and parental benefits, QPIP, your provincial employment standards page