Parental Leave Policy Ontario

Employment standards laws of all jurisdictions allow employees to take unpaid parental leave. But because rules vary, it’s important to implement a parental leave policy that reflects the laws of your province. Here’s a template policy based on parental leave rules in Ontario.

  1. ENTITLEMENT TO PARENTAL LEAVE

Employees who have been employed by ABC Company for at least 13 weeks and who is the parent of a child are entitled to a leave of absence without pay following the birth of the child or the coming of the child into the employee’s custody, care and control for the first time.

  1. START OF PARENTAL LEAVE

Eligible employees may begin parental leave no later than 78 weeks after the day the child is born or comes into the employee’s custody, care and control for the first time. Exception: An employee who has taken pregnancy leave must begin her parental leave when her pregnancy leave ends unless the child has not yet come into her custody, care and control for the first time.

  1. IF CHILD COMES EARLIER THAN EXPECTED

If an employee stops working because a child comes into their custody, care and control for the first time earlier than expected:

(a)  Parental leave begins on the day they stop working; and

(b)  The employee must give the ABC Company HR department or other Company official written notice that they are taking parental leave within two weeks after stopping work.

  1. END OF PARENTAL LEAVE

Parental leave ends 63 weeks after it begins…