MATERNITY, PATERNITY & PARENTAL LEAVE, Employment Insurance (EI) in Canada

[@BreakingBadDebt]

𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱: 0:00 - Intro 1:16 - Basics of Maternity Leave vs Parental Leave vs Paternity Leave? 3:07 - Employment Insurance (EI) and Top Up 4:58 - When’s the best time to take maternity leave? 6:54 - Pregnancy & Parental Leave Benefit Program (PPLBP) for Doctors 9:26 - Maternity Leave & Incorporation 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀: 1) Apply for Maternity Leave, EI : www.canada.ca/en/services/ben... 2) PARO Pregnancy Leave for Residents: myparo.ca/pregnancy-parental-... 3) Pregnancy and Parental Leave Benefit for Physicians (Ontario): www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/p... 4) Incorporation & Mat Leave: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqjKhKWopZmSaLM

[@hoaphuonghoang2739]

Hi Dr, I’m 3 months pregnant now. And I work as a cook. But I cannot continue work there anymore because of the smell of food. I already accumulated 600hrs in here. But I’m planing to take another job for 5 months before take Mat leave. I’m wondering what’s reason should I ask the employer to file in my ROE? Thank you for your help.

[@echoed52]

Thanks for the great video as always! I was recently reading about PPLBP for Ontario too so this video helps to solidify my understanding. For staff physicians I wonder if taking a fixed salary (i.e. T4 eligible) from the MPC during parental leave without any eligible earnings (e.g. no billings/stipends/AFA) will impact the amount of PPLBP you can get vs. if you may have to fund yourself from the corp via dividends to get as much PPLBP as you can get.

[@BreakingBadDebt]

Hi Eileen, from the PPLBP website, this is what they say about the salary from your corp: "Your incorporation status will not affect your eligibility for the PPLBP. When filling out your application package, you must declare the gross eligible earnings your corporation received under your name in the 12-month period immediately before your leave start date. During your leave, you must declare income earnings paid to your corporation under your name and not the salary you are withdrawing. Income earnings must be declared based on the service date, not the payment received date." Based on this statement if you're not having any billings during your leave and you take a salary or dividend from corp, it should not affect your benefits. If there are any others who have input on this, feel free to post a comment as well! www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/parentalleave/

[@fugeb]

Appreciate this video! Can you please elaborate on topup and how it works/is calculated? Is it calculated on the overall income? Or is it calculated on the difference between normal income and EI? Thanks!

[@BreakingBadDebt]

Top-up is based on the difference between your income and EI. It doesn't replace EI, it will just top up or supplement the EI until you reach 80% (this % can vary based on your company) of your non mat-leave income.

[@bktravel68]

Hi Dear thanks for your helpful video can I have a question I have asmath I aks my doctor to give me note I can’t work because I’m pregnant but she told me I have to apply when I call for service Canada they told me I’m not available for meternaty can you please help me thanks

[@jerinmanuel7240]

Hi is there any specific requirements for the early maternity leave.I am due on June 18 however planning to go on maternity leave by April 1st because of some family emergency.

[@praveen12301230]

I become a Canadian Citizen last year. I'm working since 10 years in this country. My Wife is on PR and she is not working she is a home maker. The question is I'm I eligible for parental leave if she does not work? Can I take standard parental leave? Also, What if my kid born in India. I'm I eligible to apply for parental leave and benefits if we plan to deliver my baby in India? or the Parental leave works only if kid born in Canada? do you know what documents should I get prepared for this scenario ?

[@VishalSingh-mu2em]

is it our choice that we want to proceed with a normal or c-section, and after delivery you need to stay in Canada to keep on getting the maternity benefits or can move to another country for 1 year of leave?

[@YBLunA]

Hi doc. Would I be able to avail for the EI of paternal leave if my newly born child is overseas??

[@love7987.]

Hi I am two month pregnant can I calculated past hours or just during the pregnancy we need 600 hours as I m part time so I don’t think I cannot do 600 hours during pregnancy plz reply thank you

[@clarencelulu1600]

Hi can i apply for parental benefits? My commonlaw partner and my newborn son is on other counrty. They don’t have SIN or any records here in Canada

[@OanhNguyen-dw8sk]

Hi Dr, thank you so much for your video, it helped me a lot. I am in 10 weeks of pregnancy and I work as a cook. This job is not easy for me when I am being pregnant and I want to quit right now. Would I be eligible to apply for maternity and parental benefit? I already got 600 hours of insurable employment over the past 52 weeks. Thank you for your help, I really appreciated it!

[@BreakingBadDebt]

Hey Oanh, it looks like you meet the eligibility criteria for hours but on the Government of Ontario website it says that the earliest a leave can begin is 17 weeks before the employee’s due date. At 10 weeks, you’re still a bit early. If you plan to leave earlier, it would count as sick leave and it’s important to prove a written notice within 2 weeks of you stopping work to your employer. For more info: www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/pregnancy-and-parental-leave

[@saruthapa9714]

I am 6 weeks pregnant. I am not able to work since 2 weeks because of morning sickness and feeling weak . I don’t know when I feel better for this can I apply for EI?

[@chrischris3922]

Yes you can also you can apply after you have you baby because you have to take care of the baby so you will definitely get ei

[@xoieveck9505]

Thank you for this

[@gordonpi8674]

All civilized countries have maternity leaves. Bravo!

[@anna-zh3xr]

If your partner is from the states and you want to be in the states with them during maternity leave will the government find me ineligible to receive E.I. benefits?

[@BreakingBadDebt]

Hi Anna, will you be keeping your Canadian citizenship during this time? If you have a SIN and have met the 600 hours worked in the past 52 weeks requirements, I don't think it should matter where you take your mat leave from. Just keep in mind that many airlines restrict travel in late pregnancy. If you might be changing your permanent address, you might want to give Service Canada a call to be sure (1-800-206-7218)

[@najeemnaime452]

Great Video! But I do have a question. This is for my sister I’m speaking for. She’s wants to work to her fullest and while her body can take it. But however per say; can she obtain the maternity and parental leave at the “SAME TIME” after birth. One is 6 months and the other is 12 months. Are we able to merge it both or obtain both at the same time. I tried looking up on service Canada website can’t seem to find the answer to this

[@BreakingBadDebt]

Hi Najeem, to clarify your question, is there a reason for why she wants to take both at the same time instead of one right after the other? It doesn't seem like there's any financial benefit to doing so.

[@najeemnaime452]

@@BreakingBadDebt she plans to work to her fullest. She’s due in the first week of December. She wants to work until October/November or until 37-38 weeks.

[@najeemnaime452]

@@BreakingBadDebt I guess she could take the 6 month Benefit and than 12 month benefit afterwards

[@BreakingBadDebt]

@@najeemnaime452Does her work allow her to take a 6 month maternity leave? Based on the Service Canada website, maternity leave is maximum 17 weeks which is 4.75 months. I spoke with a colleague who was in the similar situation: also worked up until 37 weeks, what she did was she used her paid vacation time in those 2 weeks off until she gave birth. Then she took the 4mo mat leave and parental leave at the same time, b/c when you take parental leave, it allows your husband to take time off (which can't be done with only taking mat leave). This allows mom and dad to be with the newborn for 5-8wks. She did the extended parental benefits program (18 mo), so the maximum time she took off was 18mo for her entire leave and not 4mo+18mo. Hope this clarifies things! If not, you can always call a Service Canada rep at 1-800-206-7218

[@cthoniccassandra7526]

Question: is this only for Canadians who have been there the entire time? I mean this in the sense, let's say an expat goes to Canada, and then becomes pregnant, so there's not a permanent resident/citizen yet. How would maternity leave still apply? Parental benefits for the mother and their partner? I try to find the information myself but to no avail.

[@BreakingBadDebt]

Hi Cassandra, this is a hard question for me to answer as I'm not an expat. What I would suggest doing is calling Service Canada to clarify. There are also good expat websites that discuss this, for example: www.expatfinder.com/canada/expat-guides/article/having-a-baby-in-canada/561

[@cthoniccassandra7526]

@@BreakingBadDebt Thank you, I appreciate the help!

[@ninamarieiiimiller806]

No. It doesnt matter what your status is. As long as you are not under tourist visa. Also, as long as you had EI contribution for atleast 90 days with in the past year you are still eligible for this benefits. To have EI contribution it means you should have been employed for 90 days.

[@cthoniccassandra7526]

@@ninamarieiiimiller806 Oh, okay! I was going to look up information on that again, and I found something along the lines of what you said, but still wasn't sure since it didn't mention expats either. This is very good information, thank you so much for taking the time to tell me!

[@ninamarieiiimiller806]

@@cthoniccassandra7526 if as an expat you pay canadian tax, then yes you are eligible. 1st year came to canada during the tax season i sent CRA my (world tax) from the past years income. So starting that year i have EI contributions. My friebds who have businesses outside canada also do their contributions the same way, world tax every year. I hope that helps! 🙂

[@andreasilvarod443]

I’m eligible for EI because work is slow and I’m due in July 21, Can I claim Ei and maternity benefits in the same year ?

[@BreakingBadDebt]

It looks like you can receive EI maternity and other types of EI benefits but you have to be eligible for both the maternity and other EI criteria. The CRA has an example of this on their website here where the claimant applies for sickness, unemployment and parental benefits: www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/ei/ei-list/reports/maternity-parental.html

[@savleenkaur6442]

I am 4 months pregnant and going to join a new company. Will I be eligible for maternity leave if I am employed for less than 26 weeks at my new workplace?

[@BreakingBadDebt]

Hi Savleen, on the Government of Canada website it says you are eligible if: "you accumulated 600 insured hours of work in the 52 weeks before the start of your claim or since the start of your last claim, whichever is shorter". So your eligibility would depend on whether you were able to accumulate the 600 hours in those 26 weeks you worked there. Source: www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-maternity-parental/eligibility.html

[@anikasarah9969]

If I take sickness leave before starting maternity and parental leave how would that work?in that case would i get the leave for more than a year?

[@BreakingBadDebt]

Hi Anika, taking sick leave or accumulated vacation days should not affect your maternity leave as they are separate from your maternity leave. Combining your sick leave or vacation time with maternity/parental leave would allow you to take longer time off.

[@EemontheNextLevel]

Hi,my wife wants to take 10 months maternity. Can i take rest of the 2 months parenal leave?And how its work?Where we have to apply for this? Thanks in advance!

[@BreakingBadDebt]

Hi, all Canadian parents have 40 weeks of parental leave; 5 of which are specifically meant for Dads to take time off work to care for their newborn and you should be eligible as long as you've worked the 600 hours in the last 52 weeks. For more info and resources for dads, check out: dadcentral.ca/paternity-leave/

[@ryanculley9987]

is the 55% my wife will receive further taxed or will she receive the $638 in full?

[@Love_yourselfalways9]

Hi I would like to ask you about short term disability benefits in pregnancy period if doctors advised to take rest.

[@BreakingBadDebt]

Hi Jayalekshmi, generally it's recommended to check with your short term disability insurance provider as it can vary across plans. Pregnancy itself isn't considered a disability that is covered, but if there's complications as a result of pregnancy or childbirth and you're unable to work, this may be covered under short term disability. Of course, it would require a doctor's note or your primary care doctor has to complete a form for you.

[@Love_yourselfalways9]

@@BreakingBadDebt thank you so much for your reply. I have type 2 diabetes and it’s a risky pregnancy. I haven’t had any issues before I got Covid. After that I had signs and symptoms and checked my blood levels. Maybe I will start to work by next week. I really appreciated you giving me a reply ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@Ttrr413]

My spouse applied for extended parental leave. When i can apply for my 8 weeks ? Any time frame for apply ?

[@BreakingBadDebt]

For maternity leave, the time frame to apply is 28 days so for paternity leave I presume it's the same. You can also call Service Canada at 1-800-206-7218 to confirm.

[@savleenkaur6442]

If I disclose my pregnancy to my new employer after joining the company, will there be a risk of getting terminated from workplace?

[@BreakingBadDebt]

Hi Savleen, it is considered discrimination if you are terminated because you got pregnant. They have to accommodate your pregnancy. Source: www.ohrc.on.ca/en/frequently-asked-questions/can-i-fire-woman-whose-pregnancy-preventing-her-doing-job-she-was-hired-do

[@beacoley8758]

Hi I have a question. I took my mat leave Feb 14, 2022 when will my parental leave end if I gave birth in March 2022?

[@BreakingBadDebt]

Hi Bea, based on the Canada EI benefits website, it says that parental benefits starts the week your child is born and standard leave goes up to 35 weeks since start. See this link for more details: www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-maternity-parental/apply.html

[@beacoley8758]

@@BreakingBadDebt service canada said my benefits are only up to feb this year. I’ve been telling them I gave birth in March so it doesnt even make sense 😭

[@arvinderbatth1329]

Hi . 52 weeks counts from due date or mat applying date

[@BreakingBadDebt]

Are you referring to the 52wks to qualify for EI? It should be 52 weeks worked to qualify for EI prior to the start of the EI claim not the due date. (Source: www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-maternity-parental/eligibility.html)

[@joshannm]

Hi. Can I apply maternity leave and parental benefits for 16 weeks only?

[@BreakingBadDebt]

Do you mean to take maternity and parental leave for 16 weeks total instead of the 52 weeks? That is possible, you don't have to use the full time if you want to go back to work earlier.

[@sudeshnadasgupta119]

Is it really mandatory to complete 52 weeks of employment? I am currently pregnant however I am employed for 6 months only but i have required hours

[@BreakingBadDebt]

Hey, from the CRA website it says that it's not 52 weeks of work, it's based on accumulating at least 600 insured hours of work before the start of your claim. For more info: www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-maternity-parental/eligibility.html

[@unknownshorty8699]

So if I’ve been approved for maternity leave by my employer. Do I still call service Canada? Who pays for my leave?

[@BreakingBadDebt]

To apply for maternity leave EI benefits from Service Canada, you can look into the application system here: www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-maternity-parental/apply.html

[@amnindersohi8239]

I am 2 week pregnant.i applied for sick leave because it's hard for me to do work .now I took sickness . would I be eligible to apply for maternity or parental benefit or I have to complete again 600 hours of work during pregnancy to get maternity and parental benefits

[@BreakingBadDebt]

Hi Amninder, it depends on how many hours of work you put in before taking the sick leave. If you met the 600 hours worked in the 52 weeks before the start of your EI benefit period then you’re eligible for EI benefits.

[@DFUN-EKID]

Can i apply now my baby is 10 mnths ?? Which parental leaves to be applied

[@BreakingBadDebt]

You can only claim parental benefits within the year (52 weeks) following your baby's birth or placement with you. There are exceptions, however, for example if your baby is hospitalized for some reason you may qualify for time beyond the year after your baby's birth (Source: www.babycenter.ca/a538833/what-you-need-to-know-about-parental-leave-and-ei-in-canada)

[@dharawanniarachchi3828]

Hi Dr. Steph, If I quit my Job once I get pregnant and after completing 600 Hours, I will be eligible for the parental benefits, after the child birth right? because at that moment, I will be unemployed. kindly advise. Thanks in advance.

[@BreakingBadDebt]

Hi Dhara, this is what the Government of Canada's website says about it: "You are thinking of quitting your job. Did you know that if you voluntarily quit your job without just cause, you will not be paid regular benefits? After quitting your job, you must work the minimum number of insurable hours required to get regular benefits. However, you may still be paid maternity, parental, sickness and compassionate care benefits as long as you qualify for these benefits." It sounds like you met the minimum insurable hours required to get regular benefits. Source: www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/ei/ei-list/quit-job.html

[@amritavitaj]

Hii mam. Actually I don't have a job ryt now and I am pregnant so can I apply for EI ??

[@BreakingBadDebt]

Hi Amrit, you can apply for EI when you stop working but there are several eligibility criteria to look at to make sure you qualify. You can find them on the EI website here: www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-regular-benefit/eligibility.html

[@saeedtheman]

Need more help

[@cynthialarche892]

This is a super helpful video! In the future, please consider using more inclusive terms to describe growing families. Not all childbearing people are women and not all partners are husbands ;).

[@BreakingBadDebt]

Thanks for the feedback Cynthia, do you have some good resources I can read up on to best understand the terms? The terms I used in the video just came from the Service Canada website.

[@cynthialarche892]

@@BreakingBadDebt Thank you for the response! I would suggest using more neutral terms when describing the parents. The other parent or the partner is a non-gendered way to address the parent who is not pregnant. Also, the term childbearing person is less gendered than mother, and is inclusive of all people who might have a pregnancy (e.g., nonbinary, trans and Two Spirit persons might not identify as women and can still have pregnancies).

[@farmerx165]

Hello I am wondering if I can get parental leave even if my kid went to foster care immediately and i dont see the kid

[@BreakingBadDebt]

Hi, this is a hard question for me to answer since lots of the resources out there talk about parental leave for those adopting the child. I'll like your post so that it's more visible to others if anyone else reading the comments has an answer for you. Just thinking about it logically, it would make sense for you to have leave just to recover from the birth process. The other option is to call Service Canada at 1-800-206-7218.

[@saruthapa9714]

I am 6 weeks pregnant. I am not able to work since 2 weeks because of morning sickness and feeling weak . I don’t know when I feel better for this can I apply for EI?

[@BreakingBadDebt]

Hi Saru, this is what it says from the EI Canada website: "You can start receiving maternity benefits as early as 12 weeks before your due date or the date you give birth" but if you're sick, you might need to apply for sick leave. For more info, the link is here: www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-maternity-parental/eligibility.html