Maternity and parental leave for public servants
This information is for public servants (Federal government employees). If you are not a public servant and you are ready to apply for maternity or parental benefits, see the Employment insurance maternity and parental benefits web page.
If you are a public servant who is expecting or preparing to take leave to care for a newborn or adopted child, find out what to do to ensure you get the appropriate time and benefits.
Disclaimer: Changes in your work or life situation
The information on this page applies to departments and agencies served by the Pay Centre. If your department or agency is not served by the Pay Centre, contact your departmental compensation unit.
Please request additional guidance from your manager, departmental human resources and finance, as pay-related information and processes are subject to change.
On this page
About maternity and parental leave
Video: How to plan for maternity and parental leaveMaternity leave is unpaid leave that allows employees time for pregnancy, childbirth, post-childbirth recuperation, adoption and childcare.
Parental leave without pay is unpaid leave that allows an employee time to care for their newly born or adopted child.
Your manager must grant maternity and parental leave to you upon request.
Maximum duration of maternity and parental leave
Maternity leave: You may begin your maternity leave without pay before, on the day, or after your pregnancy ends. Your leave without pay must end no later than 18 weeks after your pregnancy ends.
Parental leave (Standard Option): You are entitled to a single period of parental leave of up to 37 weeks within 52 weeks of the date of your child’s birth.
Parental leave (Extended Option): If you are subject to a collective agreement or Terms and Conditions of Employment that offers extended parental leave, you are entitled to a single period of maternity leave of up to 63 weeks within 78 weeks of the date of your child’s birth.
At the discretion of your employer, you may take parental leave in 2 periods within these parameters.
Care of family (or equivalent): You may take leave without pay for care of family if you wish to extend your leave beyond the maximum allowable number of weeks of maternity or parental leave after the date of birth of the child. Please refer to your collective agreement for details.
Exceptions
If your newborn needs to be hospitalized, your maternity or parental leave may be extended if certain conditions are met. Check your collective agreement specific to your classification group.
Parental leave for adoption: You may take the Standard or Extended Parental leave options listed above, beginning on the day a child you are in the process of adopting comes into your care. At the discretion of your employer, you may take this leave in 2 periods. In addition, a provincially legal adoption process must be underway before you request this leave.
Maximum duration of maternity and parental leave More information
- Collective agreements for the public service: (Note: not all collective agreements are listed here) Check your collective agreement, terms and conditions of employment and other legally binding rules specific to your classification group
Combining maternity leave with other forms of leave
Most collective agreements and terms and conditions of employment provide for the use of sick, annual or compensatory leave for a period preceding or following the end of a pregnancy.
Combining maternity leave with other forms of leave More information
- Collective agreements for the public service: (Note: not all collective agreements are listed here) Check your collective agreement, terms and conditions of employment and other legally binding rules specific to your classification group
About the maternity and parental allowance
Video: How to complete maternity leave form for federal employeesRefer to your collective agreement to confirm eligibility criteria for the maternity or parental allowance. Generally, to be eligible for the maternity or parental allowance, you must:
- have 6 months of continuous employment before starting your maternity or parental leave without pay
- provide proof that you applied for and are receiving maternity, parental, paternity or adoption benefits under EI or Quebec Parental Insurance Plan
- sign an agreement stating that you will:
- return to work when your leave without pay expires
- work for at least as long as the period for which you receive a maternity or parental allowance
- example: if you receive an allowance for 6 months, you must return to work for at least 6 months
About the maternity and parental allowance More information
- Collective agreements for the public service
- Employment insurance maternity and parental benefits
- Quebec Parental Insurance Plan
Allowances and rates of pay
In general, the maternity or standard parental allowance consists of:
- 93% of your weekly rate of pay for the waiting period under the Supplemental Unemployment Benefit Plan (that is, 1 week), minus any earnings made during this period
- the difference between 93% of your weekly rate of pay and the maternity or standard parental benefit that you are eligible for under the EI or the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP), minus any earnings made during this period
Please note that maternity and parental allowances are subject to a maximum number of weeks when shared. The maximum combined or shared weeks of maternity and standard parental allowances can be 52 or 57 weeks respectively.
Extended parental allowance
In general, the extended parental allowance consists of:
- 55.8% of your weekly rate of pay for the waiting period under the EI Benefit Plan (that is, 1 week), minus any earnings made during this period
- the difference between 55.8% of your weekly rate of pay and the extended parental benefit that you are eligible for under the EI benefit, minus any earnings made during this period
If you are considering the extended option for EI parental benefits, please note that the maximum combined, shared maternity and parental allowances payable is 86 weeks.
For employees who are residents of Quebec: If you are eligible for both Standard and Extended Parental Leave options, the parental allowance is only payable under Option 1: Standard, even when you have selected the extended leave option.
More information
Employment insurance maternity and parental benefits
Acting
If you have been acting for more than 4 months, including the day immediately preceding the maternity or parental leave, your allowance will generally be based on your acting rate of pay.
Pay increments or revisions
Your maternity or parental allowance will be adjusted to reflect changes to your salary following a revision or eligible pay increment.
Allowances and rates of pay More information
- Collective agreements for the public service: (Note: not all collective agreements are listed here) Check your collective agreement, terms and conditions of employment and other legally binding rules specific to your classification group
Disability and maternity and parental leave and allowances
Most collective agreements and terms and conditions of employment contain special provisions for employees in receipt of disability benefits who are requesting a maternity or parental allowance.
Disability and maternity and parental leave and allowances More information
- Collective agreements for the public service: (Note: not all collective agreements are listed here) Check your collective agreement, terms and conditions of employment and other legally binding rules specific to your classification group
Medical appointment leave for pregnant employees
Generally, you are allowed up to 3.75 hours of leave with pay to attend routine medical appointments related to your pregnancy. If you need to book a series of appointments for the treatment of a particular condition relating to the pregnancy, you should use sick leave to account for your time off work.
Medical appointment leave for pregnant employees More information
Administrative processes related to maternity and parental leave and allowances
In this section, learn what you need to do to ensure you get the appropriate leave and allowances.
Notify your manager about your planned leave as soon as possible or at least 6 weeks before your expected leave date. Your manager must approve your request for leave. Once this is done, work with your manager and human resources personnel, including your department’s trusted source, to ensure the Pay Centre receives the necessary documentation and information before your leave begins.
- Assessing the impact of maternity or parental leave on your pay, insurances and benefits
- Obtaining a Record of Employment
- Recording your leave
- Completing your return-to-work agreement
- Obtaining the maternity and parental allowance
- Notifying your pay and insurance benefits providers
- Important forms
Assessing the impact of maternity or parental leave on your pay, insurances and benefits
The Frequently Asked Questions section of the Maternity or Parental leave application outlines what happens to your pay, insurance and benefits as a result of your leave without pay. You may also contact the Client Contact Centre for an assessment of the impact your leave may have on these benefits.
Obtaining a Record of Employment
You need a Record of Employment (ROE) to claim benefits under EI or the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan. A ROE establishes your eligibility and level of benefits. You can, however, apply for benefits even if your ROE has not yet been issued.
A web-based record of employment will be issued on your behalf within 5 calendar days of the end of the pay period during which the earnings are interrupted and retained by Economic and Social Development Canada.
Obtaining a Record of Employment More information
- Employment insurance maternity and parental benefits
- Quebec Parental Insurance Plan
- Contact Service Canada
Recording your leave
Before you begin your leave, ensure the information in your departmental leave system is accurate and up to date. It is your responsibility to request and receive authorization for any absences.
In addition, complete the Maternity or Parental Leave application and submit it to your manager before you begin your leave. Your manager will be responsible for approving your leave request and having it submitted through your trusted source, under cover of a pay action request form, to the Pay Centre. Upon receipt, a compensation advisor will record your maternity or parental leave without pay in the system
Recording your leave More information
Note: Issue with fillable forms
Please note there are known conversion issues when fillable forms are updated or completed through Internet browsers.
Follow these Instructions for fillable PDF forms (only available via a Government of Canada network) in the Forms Library:
- install a PDF reader of your choice
- download and save the Maternity or Parental Leave Application PDF file to your computer or device
- open the file with the PDF reader
- input the required data in the applicable form fields
- save your work before closing the file
Completing your return-to-work agreement
The return to work agreement now forms part of the application (section 3).
If you do not fulfill your return-to-work agreement, you will have to repay part, or all of the allowance, as applicable. Check your collective agreement or terms and conditions of employment for more information.
Term employees
Before receiving the maternity or parental allowance, make sure your term of employment extends long enough for you to fulfill your return-to-work agreement. You may retroactively receive the maternity or parental allowance if applicable.
If you cannot fulfill your return-to-work agreement because your term of employment expires before the date in which the agreement is fulfilled, you will have to repay part or all of the allowance.
Completing your return-to-work agreement More information
- Collective agreements for the public service: (Note: not all collective agreements are listed here) Check your collective agreement, terms and conditions of employment and other legally binding rules specific to your classification group
Requirement for the maternity or parental allowance
As soon as possible after your leave commences, submit the following documents to the Pay Centre:
- an original EI payment stub or letter confirming your eligibility for EI or
- an original Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) payment stub or letter From: QPIP confirming your eligibility or
- relevant screenshots from your My Service Canada Account or your QPIP clicSÉQUR Account
- a pay action request form (PAR) with the date of birth or adoption in the comments section of the PAR form
If your EI or QPIP benefit rate changes during your leave, submit updated documents. Save all your subsequent EI/QPIP payment stubs. You must submit all of your payment stubs to the Pay Centre by the end of your maternity/parental leave, under cover of a PAR form. We need these stubs so that we can reconcile your allowance payments.
If you do not submit the payment stubs or EI/QPIP letter confirming your eligibility, we will treat the allowances you received as an overpayment.
Getting an advance on the maternity or parental allowance
Send your completed Maternity or Parental leave application to the Pay Centre, to indicate whether you are requesting allowances and your chosen option for EI or QPIP. We will estimate and advance your maternity or parental allowance while you are waiting for EI or QPIP to confirm your eligibility or issue you a first payment.
Reconciling an advance
If you received an advance on your maternity or parental allowance, the Pay Centre will reconcile this advance against what your original payments should have been.
This reconciliation will occur once you provide proof of receipt of EI or QPIP benefits. Should there be an underpayment or overpayment, the Pay Centre will adjust your next payment accordingly. If an overpayment occurs and there are not enough maternity or parental allowances left to adjust before you return to work, we will give you repayment options for this overpayment.
Notifying your pay and benefits providers
You will need to submit information and certain documents to the Pay Centre and your insurers. These documents ensure an accurate calculation of your pay, benefits and insurance coverage for you and members of your family. For more information, refer to Becoming a parent.
Important forms
Work with your manager to ensure you complete the following form:
Instructions for fillable PDF forms:
- install a PDF reader of your choice
- download and save the PDF file to your computer or device
- open the file with the PDF reader
- input the required date in the applicable form fields
- save your work before closing the file
Your trusted source must submit it to the Pay Centre before you begin your maternity or parental leave:
What to expect
The Pay Centre will send you an acknowledgement to indicate that your application has been received and a case has been created.
Beginning with the pay period that your leave becomes effective, you should expect:
- an interruption of earnings effective the start date of the leave
- a record of employment
- commencement of maternity or parental allowances, if you are eligible and have requested them
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