Pregnancy Leave
Parental Leave
Family Responsibility and Bereavement Leaves
Employer's Duties Relating to Employee's Leaves and Jury Duty

A pregnant employee who requests pregnancy leave is entitled to up to 18 consecutive weeks of unpaid leave. Pregnancy leave may begin no earlier than 11 weeks before the expected birth date, and end no earlier than six weeks after the actual birth date, unless the employee requests a shorter period.

After the birth of her child or termination of a pregnancy, an employee who requests leave is entitled to six consecutive weeks of unpaid leave beginning on the date of the birth or termination of the pregnancy.

If the employee is unable to return to work at the end of a pregnancy leave for reasons related to the birth or termination of pregnancy, she is entitled to six additional consecutive weeks of unpaid leave.

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An employee who requests parental leave is entitled to 12 consecutive weeks of unpaid leave. Parental leave may begin, for a birth mother, immediately after pregnancy leave unless the employee and employer agree otherwise. For a birth father, it must begin within 52 weeks after the child's birth, and for an adopting parent, within 52 weeks after the child is placed with the parent.

A requesting employee may take five additional weeks of unpaid leave beginning immediately after the end of the ordinary parental leave period, if the child has a physical, psychological or emotional condition requiring an additional period of parental care.

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An employee is entitled to up to five days of unpaid leave during each employment year to meet responsibilities related to the welfare of a child in the employee's care or to that of any other member in the employee's immediate family.

An employee is entitled to up to three days of unpaid leave if a member of her family dies.

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It is illegal for an employer to deny a requesting employee leave to which he is entitled under the Act.

An employer may not terminate employment or, without written consent, change a condition of employment as a result of an employee's leave under the Act.

Once the leave or jury duty ends, the employer must place the employee in the same or a comparable position to that held before she took leave or undertook jury duty.

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