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Sick Leave
Maternity, Parental and Adoption Leave
General Leave
Jury or Court Witness Duty Leave
Bereavement Leave
Compassionate Care leave
Note: These are brief descriptions of the leaves available. For the full text of the provisions for Sick Leave and Leaves of Absence, please consult the Executive Administrative Staff handbook.
Leave with pay due to illness or injury, up to the number of days in the employee’s sick leave reserve. A full-time employee accumulates sick leave at 1.25 days per month worked, to a maximum of 152 days. Part-time employees’ sick leave is pro-rated based on their percentage of employment.
If you have exhausted your sick leave reserve and you have not satisfied the six-month qualifying period for income replacement plan benefits, you should apply for an unpaid medical leave of absence and learn about your options to maintain benefits during your unpaid leave.
If you have been approved for a paid medical leave, please note that your current benefits will continue uninterrupted and the cost-sharing of benefits will be the same as if you were actively at work.
Birth mothers are entitled to up to 17 weeks of unpaid maternity leave. Further unpaid maternity leave of up to 6 consecutive weeks may be granted where the birth mother is unable to return to work for reasons related to the birth or the termination of the pregnancy, as certified by a medical practitioner.
Birth mothers may be eligible for Employment Insurance (EI benefits) from Human Resources Development Canada during their unpaid maternity leave. For the purposes of EI maternity benefits, up to 15 weeks of EI benefits may be claimed by the birth mother after a 2-week waiting period is served. The mother can start collecting maternity benefits either up to 8 weeks before she is expected to give birth or at the week she gives birth. Maternity benefits can be collected within 17 weeks of the actual or expected week of birth, whichever is later.
If eligible, UBC’s Supplemental Employment Benefits (SEB) Program pays the difference between the EI benefit received from Human Resources Development Canada and 95% of salary. EI benefits are payable for up to 15 weeks and SEB benefits are payable for a maximum of 17 weeks (the 2-week EI benefits waiting period where it pays 95% of salary, plus 15 weeks of topping up EI to 95%). The remaining 5% is paid to the employee after they have returned to work for at least 6 months.
For more information, please refer to the step-by-step guide on Preparing for a Maternity, Parental and Adoption Leave.
Birth mothers are entitled to up to 35 weeks of unpaid parental leave in addition to maternity leave following the birth of a child. The maximum length of unpaid leave for a birth mother is 52 weeks (17 weeks maternity + 35 weeks parental). If a birth mother does not take unpaid maternity leave, she is entitled to 37 weeks of unpaid parental leave.
Birth fathers are entitled to up to 37 weeks of unpaid parental leave.
Further unpaid parental leave up of to 5 additional weeks may be granted where the child is certified by a medical practitioner to be suffering from a physical, psychological or emotional condition.
Birth mothers and birth fathers may be eligible for Employment Insurance (EI benefits) from Human Resources Development Canada during their unpaid parental leave. For the purposes of EI parental benefits, up to 35 weeks of EI benefits may be claimed by the birth mother, birth father, or shared between the birth mother and birth father. If EI parental benefits are claimed by the birth mother or shared between the birth mother and birth father, the 2-week waiting period is not required if previously satisfied by the birth mother when claiming EI maternity benefits. Birth fathers claiming all EI parental benefits must serve a 2-week waiting period.
UBC’s Supplemental Employment Benefits (SEB) Program is not available during unpaid parental leaves for birth parents.
For more information, please refer to the step-by-step guide on Preparing for a Maternity, Parental and Adoption Leave.
Adopting parents are entitled to up to 37 weeks of unpaid parental leave. An adopting parent may be the same-sex partner of an adopting parent or birth mother. Further unpaid parental leave up of to 5 additional weeks may be granted where the child is certified by a medical practitioner to be suffering from a physical, psychological or emotional condition.
Adopting parents may be eligible for Employment Insurance (EI benefits) from Human Resources Development Canada during their unpaid parental leave. If eligible, UBC’s Supplemental Employment Benefits (SEB) Program pays the difference between the EI benefit you receive from Human Resources Development Canada and 95% of salary for the length of time specified below:
If EI parental benefits are claimed by one adoptive parent only: EI benefits are payable for up to 35 weeks and SEB benefits are payable for a maximum of 12 weeks (the 2-week EI benefits waiting period where it pays 95% of salary, plus 10 weeks of topping up EI to 95%).
If EI parental benefits are shared between adopting parents: EI benefits are payable for up to 35 weeks and SEB benefits are payable for a maximum of 12 weeks (if applicable, the 2-week EI benefits waiting period where it pays 95% of salary, plus 10 weeks of topping up EI to 95%). Only one adoptive parent is required to serve the 2-week EI benefits waiting period.
between the birth mother and adopting parent: EI benefits are payable for 35 weeks and SEB benefits are payable for a maximum of 10 weeks (10 weeks of topping up EI to 95% of salary). The 2-week waiting period is not required if previously satisfied by the birth mother when claiming EI maternity benefits.
The remaining 5% is paid to the employee after they have returned to work for at least 6 months. Should both adopting parents be employed by UBC, only one parent can access the SEB Program.
For more information, please refer to the step-by-step guide on Preparing for a Maternity, Parental and Adoption Leave.
Employees may have up to six months leave of absence without pay and benefits for personal reasons, upon written application.
Employees are eligible for a paid leave of absence when they are required by law to serve as jurors or witnesses in any court. In cases where the employee must appear as a plaintiff or defendant in a civil or criminal action, the employee will be granted a leave of absence without pay.
Employees will be granted three days of paid leave for the loss of a family member. Upon request, there is the option to extend for an additional three days.
Compassionate Care Leave Employment Insurance Benefits were introduced in January 2004 by the Canadian Government. On April 27, 2006, the BC Government amended the Employment Standards Act to provide for an entitlement to job-protected leave for Compassionate Care. Therefore, there are two parts to compassionate care leave as described below, the unpaid portion that is an entitlement under the BC Employment Standards Act and the Employment Insurance (EI) benefits that is subject to certain eligibility requirements as determined by HRSDC.
Compassionate Care Leave provides up eight weeks of unpaid leave for an employee to care or support a family member* if a medical practitioner issues a certificate stating that the family member has a serious medical condition with a significant risk of death within 26 weeks.
*A definition of “family member” as per Employment Standards may be found in Section 52 of the BC Employment Standards Act.
The Compassionate Care Benefit is a type of Employment Insurance (EI) benefit from Human Resources and Social Development Canada. Up to six weeks of EI Compassionate Care benefits may be available to those on Compassionate Care leave, after a two-week waiting period is served. A definition of “family member” for EI purposes may be found by clicking here.
If you wish to take additional leave after the expiry of your Compassionate Care leave, please refer to General Leave.
