EI maternity and parental benefits

EI maternity and parental benefits are federal payments to eligible new parents on leave. You don't pay them; your Record of Employment starts the claim.

Also called: EI mat leave, maternity benefits, parental benefits, EI parental

What EI maternity and parental benefits means

EI maternity and parental benefits are payments from the federal Employment Insurance program to eligible workers who are off work because they are pregnant, have just given birth, or are caring for a newborn or newly adopted child. Service Canada decides who qualifies and how much they get.

These benefits are not the same thing as maternity or parental leave. The leave is a right under your provincial employment standards law (or the Canada Labour Code if you are federally regulated) that protects the job. The benefit is income from EI while the person is away. An employee can be on job-protected leave and receive EI at the same time, but one does not depend on the other.

As the employer, you do not pay these benefits and you do not decide eligibility. Your part is to issue an accurate Record of Employment (ROE) on time, answer any questions Service Canada sends you, and keep paying EI premiums on wages as usual.

How it works

Maternity benefits are for the person who is pregnant or has recently given birth, and last up to 15 weeks. Parental benefits are for parents caring for a new child, and parents can share them. Parents choose one of two options. Standard parental benefits last up to 40 weeks shared between the parents, but one parent cannot receive more than 35 weeks. Extended parental benefits last up to 69 weeks shared, but one parent cannot receive more than 61 weeks.

Maternity and standard parental benefits pay 55% of the employee's average weekly insurable earnings, and extended parental benefits pay 33%, each up to a weekly maximum. For claims starting on or after 28 December 2025, the maximum is $729.00 a week at the 55% rate and $437.00 a week at the 33% rate. Extended benefits spread a smaller weekly amount over more weeks. The choice is made on the application and is hard to change later, so employees should read Service Canada's current figures before they apply.

Your key task is the ROE. When an employee stops work for the leave and has, or expects to have, 7 consecutive days with no work and no insurable earnings, you issue an ROE. For an electronic ROE on a weekly, biweekly or semi-monthly pay cycle, the deadline is 5 calendar days after the end of the pay period in which the interruption happens. On the ROE, use reason code F when an employee who is pregnant or has recently given birth leaves for maternity leave, and code P when an employee leaves for parental or adoption leave. If you make employer-paid maternity or parental payments, such as a top-up, the ROE is completed after those payments end.

Many employers choose to top up EI so the employee gets closer to their usual pay. If you plan to do this, set it up properly before the leave starts, because how a top-up is structured affects whether it reduces the employee's EI. See the top-up plan (SUB plan) entry.

Common mistakes: issuing the ROE late, using the wrong reason code, or leaving out vacation pay or other amounts paid at the start of the leave. Keep your copy of each ROE for 6 years.

Is it the same in every province?

EI is a federal program, so the same rules apply to employees in every province and territory, except that in Quebec, maternity, paternity, parental and adoption benefits come from the Québec Parental Insurance Plan instead of EI. Quebec employers should check that plan before advising an employee. The ROE timing rules in this entry apply everywhere.

Example: Issuing the ROE at a Halifax design studio

Jade runs a 7-person design studio in Halifax and pays staff biweekly. Her web designer Marcus is starting parental leave on Monday 7 December 2026. His last day of work is Friday 4 December, and the pay period that includes his last week ends on Saturday 12 December.

Because Marcus will have more than 7 days with no work and no insurable earnings, Jade issues an electronic ROE. Her deadline is 5 calendar days after the end of that pay period, so 17 December 2026. She issues it on 14 December, keeps a copy on file, and tells Marcus to apply for benefits through Service Canada.

Hollis tracks the dates

Hollis, part of the Staffkin HR Suite, tracks leave return dates, so you can see when an employee on parental leave is due back.

Try Hollis live

Free tools and guides for this

Questions about EI maternity and parental benefits

Does the employer pay EI maternity benefits?

No. Benefits are paid by the federal Employment Insurance program. The employer issues the Record of Employment and keeps paying premiums on wages, but does not fund the benefit.

When do I issue an ROE for parental leave?

Once the employee has, or will have, 7 consecutive days with no work and no insurable earnings. For electronic ROEs on weekly, biweekly or semi-monthly pay, the deadline is 5 calendar days after the end of that pay period.

How much do EI parental benefits pay in 2026?

Standard parental benefits pay 55% of average weekly insurable earnings, up to $729.00 a week, and extended parental benefits pay 33%, up to $437.00 a week, for claims starting on or after 28 December 2025. The maximums change each year.

Official sources

General information for Canadian employers, not legal advice. Rules differ by province and territory and change over time, so check with your provincial employment standards office (or the federal Labour Program if you are federally regulated) before you rely on it. See employment standards by province.

Checked against official sources on 5 November 2026.