Employment Standards

Unpaid Leaves

A Summary of Unpaid Leave Options

The Employment Standards Code provides a number of protected leaves to allow employees time to deal with certain events in their lives without risking the loss of their job.

Bereavement Leave

Bereavement leave allows employees unpaid time off to deal with the death of a family member, without fear of job loss.

Compassionate Care Leave

Compassionate care leave gives employees the opportunity to take unpaid leave to care for or support a critically ill family member who has a significant risk of death within the next 26 weeks.

Family Leave

Family leave allows employees unpaid time off to deal with family responsibilities or personal illness without fear of job loss.

Leave for Citizenship Ceremony

Leave for a citizenship ceremony allows new Canadians to take up to four hours of unpaid leave for the purpose of attending their Canadian citizenship ceremonies.

Leave for Organ Donation

Leave for organ donation allows employees to take unpaid leave to donate an organ or tissue to another individual.

Leave for Reservists

Members of the Canadian Forces Reserves are entitled to unpaid leave and job protection while they are serving our country. 

 

Leave Related to Critical Illness of a Child

This leave is unpaid time off work for up to 37 weeks to allow parents to provide care and support for a critically ill child who is under 18 years old.

Leave Related to the Death or Disappearance of a Child

This leave allows parents to take a leave of absence from work to help deal with the death or disappearance of a child that occurred as a result of a crime under the Criminal Code.

Maternity Leave

Maternity leave gives expectant mothers the opportunity to take unpaid leave from work, without the fear of job loss.

Parental Leave

Parental leave gives parents the opportunity to take an unpaid leave from work to care for a new child in their family without the fear of job loss.