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Congratulations!  You are having a baby, or perhaps you are adopting a child.  Maybe you are just doing some family planning and wondering if the timing is right.  This site is intended to give you, as a prospective parent, the information you need to plan a leave from your work at Western, and to understand what time off and paid benefits may be available to you.  Some of those benefits come from Western and some from the Government of Canada.

Time Off

The Ontario Ministry of Labour, through the Employment Standards Act, provides eligible employees who are pregnant or who are new parents with the right to take unpaid time off work.

• Pregnancy Leave (Maternity Leave) - 17 weeks of unpaid time off work is available to pregnant women.
• Parental Leave - new parents have the right to take Parental Leave - unpaid time off when a child is born or is adopted. Birth mothers who have taken Pregnancy Leave are entitled to up to 35 weeks of Parental Leave. Birth mothers who do not take Pregnancy Leave and all other new parents, including fathers, are entitled to up to 37 weeks of Parental Leave.

Notes - a father could be on Parental Leave at the same time a mother is on leave.  A birth mother may take both Pregnancy (Maternity) and Parental Leave.

Paid Benefits

Depending on a number of factors, you may be entitled to the following benefits:

Administered by Government

(Note: You must confirm your eligibility and apply in order to receive these benefits)

• Maternity benefits - paid for a maximum of 15 weeks to a birth mother through federal Employment Insurance (EI).
• Parental benefits - paid through EI to either biological or adoptive parents while they are caring for a new-born or an adopted child, up to a maximum of 35 weeks.
• You will find external links on the right menu that will allow you to find out more about government legislation and eligibility for benefits.
• Employment Insurance has a two-week waiting period.  If you will be receiving SEIB payments from Western, SEIB payments in that two-week period will be higher so that your income is at or close to your pre-leave income.

Administered by Western

(Note: You must confirm your eligibility and apply in order to receive these benefits)

• Supplemental Employment Insurance Benefits (SEIB) – a paid benefit at Western, this income is designed to provide eligible faculty and staff members with additional funds to “top up” EI benefits.

The paid benefits you receive from Western will depend on a number of factors, including your employment status with Western, the length of time you have worked here (minimum one year) and the employee group that you belong to.

To learn more, please choose your employee group from those listed below.

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