EI maternity and parental benefits: Working with partners

Make it easier for Canadian parents to understand and apply for maternity and parental benefits.

Date

2019

Partner departments

• Service Canada
• Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

Why this work matters

• Thousands of Canadian parents apply for maternity and parental benefits each year

Task scenarios tested and improved

• Anne is expecting a baby in 6 weeks. She wants to work right up to her due date and take leave after. She'll be applying to get money from the government during her time off.If she wants to get everything ready before the baby is born, when should she apply?
• Maya's doctor orders her off work 5 weeks before her baby is due. She doesn't have any vacation or sick days left through her work. Does she have to use her maternity leave or are there other options?
• You've been working full time for the past year and are expecting a baby. How can you be sure that your earnings are considered "insurable" so you can apply for parental leave to look after the baby?
• Diane is expecting a baby. She wants to take as much time off as possible. Her partner also wants to take 4 weeks of leave right after the birth. What's the longest leave Diane can take from start to finish?
• You have recently been promoted from part-time to full-time, so your weekly pay has gone up a lot. How long do you need to be working at the new rate to get the maximum parental benefit amount after your baby is born?
• Fiona adopted a baby and chose the 35-week option for parental leave when she applied. Now that the baby is a little older, can she switch to a longer leave?
• Jeanine is applying for maternity leave. Her employer recently gave everyone in the company a bonus after a successful year. Will Jeanine's bonus be included in the calculation of her maternity benefits?
• Marie is on parental leave and planning for her return to work. How can she find out when her last benefit payment will be?
• Naya is expecting a baby. December 13 will be her last day at work. Her partner is going to take 10 weeks of leave. She has a salary of $43,000 per year, and wants to get the highest payments possible during her leave.How much will she get per week? When will her payments end?

Research summary

Employment Insurance (EI) maternity and parental benefits