How many weeks do you need to work in Ontario to be eligible for maternity benefits?

Question

Can anyone tell me how long you need to work in Ontario to be eligible for maternity benefits?

Answer 1

Well this is where it gets complicated.

You have the right to 17 weeks of leave where you can not loose your job so long as your due date (not the date your baby is born) is 13 weeks after the date you are hired. This is provincial and unpaid.

Parental leave is the same, as long as the due date is after the 13 weeks any woman who gives birth and keeps the child or any adult that becomes a caregiver of a child under 1 has the right to take parental leave that must begin before 52 weeks after the child comes into thier care. This includes fathers and adoptive parents. This is also unpaid. It is for 35 weeks.

So you get 87 weeks of leave between two parents assuming that the mom gives birth. 70 weeks between both parent's if adoptive.

All of the above is under the ESA:
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Statutes/English/00e41_e.htm#BK70

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The PAID leave is coverend under employment insurance and is completely different *rofl* Just to make life interesting. This leave is Federal though the amounts are different between provinces. I think only Quebec and Newfoundland are different though:

Maternity leave is payable to any woman who is pregnant IF they have worked 600 insurable hours in the last 52 weeks. So if like me your hours get cut you may have to go on leave earlier to be able to qualify. The first two weeks are unpaid the next 15 are payable at I think 55% up to a maximum of $415 or something per week.

Then there is 35 weeks of paid parental leave, which is the same you must have worked 600 hours. It can be split between parents or one parent can take it all. But it is 35 weeks paid between both. So even though you have 70 weeks of job protected leave (plus 17 weeks mat job protected) only 35 (+15 mat) are paid.

http://www1.servicecanada.gc.ca/en/ei/types/special.shtml#Maternity3


Clear as mud?

Answer 2

I had one in each of my young toddlers in Ontario and went on EI for maternity flow away and ended up owing a large style of money on the tip of it. I made $858 each 2 weeks from EI, they simply took $17/week off for taxes. i'm in NS and as quickly as back on maternity flow away and this time I made helpful that I placed extra funds aside so it does not be so painful come tax time. I additionally placed extra into RSPs and that i'm not likely to owe something this 3 hundred and sixty 5 days.

Answer 3

Not sure, in Quebec and the Atlantic provinces I think its like 600-800 hours but it's over 52 weeks. In Alberta it's 35 + hours a week over 6 months. Go to the HRDC website, or call 1-800-O-CANADA, they are great. They'll be able to tell you or tell you where to find the info and how to apply.