Becoming a parent is a major event. Under the BC Employment Standards Act, the following unpaid leaves are available:
- Pregnant Employee: an unpaid maternity leave of up to 17 weeks, which can be combined with an unpaid parental leave of up to 61 weeks to extend your total time off work,
- Birth Parent: an unpaid parental leave of up to 62 weeks (includes one week waiting period if not served during maternity leave),
- Adopting Parents: an unpaid adoption leave of up to 62 weeks, and from UBC a pre-placement adoption paid leave of up to 20 days, if you are an Administrative Executive, CUPE 116, CUPE 2278, CUPE 2950 or Management & Professional employee.
Maternity, parental and adoption leaves are unpaid. If you wish to take additional leave beyond what is stipulated under the BC Employment Standards Act, you must request this in writing from your supervisor and any additional approved leave will be considered a general unpaid leave.
When you apply for a maternity, parental or adoption leave, you can also apply for Employment Insurance (EI) maternity or parental benefits from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). EI benefits are administered by Service Canada.
If you meet EI’s eligibility rules for benefits, you will receive EI benefits if you are a pregnant employee, birth parent or adopting parent.
Pregnant Employee:
- during maternity leave, the EI maternity payment is 55% of your pre-leave earnings up to a specific maximum amount for 15 weeks after a one week unpaid waiting period is served;
- during parental leave, birth parents have a choice of standard EI parental benefits (55% of your pre-leave earnings up to a specific maximum amount for 35 weeks) OR extended EI parental benefits (33% of your pre-leave earnings up to a specific maximum amount for 61 weeks) after a one week waiting period is served (this is not required if the pregnant employee has already served the waiting period). Two parents may share the EI parental benefits and both parents are required to choose the same option, either standard or extended. You cannot change between options once parental benefits have been paid.
Birth Parents:
- during parental leave, birth parents have a choice of standard EI parental benefits (55% of your pre-leave earnings up to a specific maximum amount for 35 weeks) OR extended EI parental benefits (33% of your pre-leave earnings up to a specific maximum amount for 61 weeks) after a one week waiting period is served (this is not required if the pregnant employee has already served the waiting period). Two parents may share the EI parental benefits and both parents are required to choose the same option, either standard or extended. You cannot change between options once parental benefits have been paid.
Adopting Parents:
- during adoption leave, adopting parents have a choice of standard EI parental benefits (55% of your pre-leave earnings up to a specific maximum amount for 35 weeks) OR extended EI parental benefits (33% of your pre-leave earnings up to a specific maximum amount for 61 weeks) after a one week waiting period is served (only one parent is required to serve the waiting period). Two parents may share the EI parental benefits and both parents are required to choose the same option, either standard or extended. You cannot change between options once parental benefits have been paid.
If you have a child born or placed with you for the purpose of adoption, and share EI parental benefits with another parent, you may be eligible for the Parental Sharing Benefit. With the sharing benefit, you can take up to:
- 5 additional weeks of parental benefits when choosing the standard option, or
- 8 additional weeks of parental benefits when choosing the extended option.
Some employee groups are also eligible for Supplementary Employment Benefits that can be used to top up your EI benefit payments to 75% or 95% of your pre-leave salary for a specified period of time.
If you are planning to take a maternity, parental or adoption leave, you will need to:
- notify your supervisor of the start and end dates of your leave (please review the section below that applies specifically to your group for the number of weeks advance notice you are required to give),
- apply for the EI maternity or parental benefit through Service Canada,
- apply for Supplementary Employment Benefits if this benefit is available to your employee group, and
- decide whether to maintain your benefit coverage and pension contributions. See Benefits Coverage while on a Leave for more information.
Learn more about maternity, parental and adoption leave and paid benefits during your leave
There are some differences between the plans for each of UBC’s employee groups, so please review the section that applies specifically to your group.
- CUPE 116, CUPE 2278, CUPE 2950 and IUOE 115
- Administrative Executives and Management & Professional
- BCGEU Vancouver (Child Care)
- BCGEU Okanagan
- Other employees: includes Executive Administrative, Farm Workers and Non-Union Technicians & Research Assistants
- Faculty: includes Faculty groups, Academic Executive and Postdoctoral Fellows (Employee)
- Postdoctoral Fellows (Award Recipients)