Health Canada Job Benefits

• Career Benefits
• Insurance Benefits
• Leave Benefits

Career Benefits

Opportunities for Advancement

Health Canada offers various programs for qualified employees seeking new challenges and career advancement. Some of our development programs include:

• Health Canada Assignment Program
• Science Management Development Program
• Development Program for Biologists
• Development Program for Economists, Sociologists and Statisticians
• Development Program for Human Resources Professionals

Access to Continuous Learning

Health Canada is committed to maintaining an educated and knowledgeable workforce. On-going professional and personal development is a key method of meeting this objective. We encourage professionally-oriented training and also offer personal development courses to help employees explore other career choices within the department. Some long-term training programs also allow employees to undertake or complete a degree while still employed. Health Canada will often fund higher education, either in part or in full.

Flexible Work Arrangements:

It is important to us that our employees have the opportunity to lead healthy, balanced lives. Depending on the type of work performed, managers can allow employees to work flexible hours, telework or work a compressed work week.

Job Security and Mobility

Health Canada provides employment security to its employees to the greatest extent possible. Should a job be declared redundant, we strive to find the affected individual alternative employment. When a spouse is relocated, Health Canada will try to find the employee a job in the same location. Because Health Canada is part of the Federal Public Service, our employees benefit from the ability to move within the department, or within various departments of the Federal Public Service.

Insurance Benefits

Health Canada employees have the following insurance benefits:

• Dental and health care plans, with coverage for prescription drugs, vision care, and hospitalization for employees and their dependants
• Disability insurance equal to 70% of the adjusted salary when approved
• An attractive pension plan
• Death benefit coverage equal to twice the adjusted annual salary

Leave Benefits

In addition to the 11 paid statutory holidays each year, Health Canada employees are provided with vacation days at the following rate:

• 15 days per year of vacation after one year of employment
• 20 days per year after 8 years
• 25 days per year after 18 years
• 30 days per year after 29 years

Several types of leave are available to employees of the Federal Public Service. These include but are not limited to:

• 15 days of paid sick leave per year
• Bereavement leave for immediate family members
• Leave with pay for family-related responsibilities
• Other unpaid leave
  • Education leave (possibly with an allowance)
  • Maternity and parental leave with top-up allowance equal to 93% of salary for a combined total of 52 weeks
  • Leave for the care of immediate family (includes compassionate care and care of preschool aged children)
  • Leave for personal needs