What leaves are available for primary caregivers?
First, you get a ‘primary caregiver leave’, a 17-week leave with full pay and benefits. The Collective Agreement specifies that you can take this leave at your discretion in the period ‘immediately preceding and / or following’ the birth of the child or the coming of the child into your custody, care, and control for the first time. Afterward, you can take up to 35 weeks of ‘parental leave’, only 3 of them with pay. Your YUFA health, vision, and dental benefits continue. If you choose to continue making your pension contributions, the Employer will also continue making theirs. If you are legally adopting the child, you’ll qualify for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits, so long as you’ve worked enough insured hours. For more about EI, consult Human Resources & Skills Development Canada and York Human Resources. My niece came to us in August. What was decided was that instead of taking 17 weeks leave in Fall, I would have a half reduction of my load over the 34 weeks of Fall and Winter.
