Maternity leave (pregnancy leave)

Maternity leave is unpaid, job-protected time off for a pregnant employee around the birth. Its length depends on the province, from 16 to 19 weeks.

Also called: pregnancy leave, mat leave

What maternity leave (pregnancy leave) means

Maternity leave, called pregnancy leave in some provinces, is time off work that a pregnant employee is entitled to take around the birth of a child. The law protects the job: when the leave ends, the employee comes back to the same job or a comparable one.

In Canada the employer does not have to pay wages during maternity leave. Income usually comes from government benefits instead. What the employer must do is grant the leave, hold the job and avoid treating the employee worse because she took it.

Each province and territory sets its own length and eligibility rules in its employment standards law. Federally regulated employers (Canada Labour Code) follow the federal rules. Maternity leave is separate from parental leave, which either parent can take, although the two are often taken back to back.

How it works

The employee tells you, usually in writing, when she plans to start the leave. Most provinces let the leave start some weeks before the due date, and the employee can usually choose when within that window. Provinces set their own notice rules, and some shorten the leave if the notice was not given, so check your province's page before you reply.

Some provinces require a minimum length of service before an employee qualifies. Ontario requires that the employee started work at least 13 weeks before the due date; she does not need to have worked all 13 weeks. Manitoba requires 7 consecutive months of service. Alberta's leaves generally apply after 90 days with the same employer.

While the employee is away, keep a record of the start date and the expected return date. Provinces have their own rules about benefit plans and service during leave; Ontario's guide, for example, protects employees on pregnancy and parental leave against dismissal or penalty for taking it. Do not count the leave against her in a performance review.

A common mistake is assuming the leave ends at a fixed date no matter what. In Ontario, if an employee has taken all 17 weeks and is still pregnant, the leave continues until the birth. In British Columbia the leave can be extended by up to 6 weeks if the employee cannot return for reasons related to the birth.

Maternity leave (pregnancy leave) by province

Maternity or pregnancy leave lengths and eligibility rules are set by each jurisdiction. These are the minimums we confirmed on official pages.

Where the work is done	The rule
Federal	Up to 17 weeks of maternity leave. Combined with parental leave, the total cannot exceed 78 weeks, or 86 weeks when parents share the parental leave.
British Columbia	Up to 17 consecutive weeks of unpaid leave, which can be extended by up to 6 weeks if the employee cannot return for birth-related reasons.
Alberta	Up to 16 consecutive weeks of unpaid maternity leave. Most job-protected leaves apply after 90 days with the same employer.
Saskatchewan	19 weeks of maternity leave, which can begin up to 13 weeks before the estimated due date. Four weeks' written notice is required; without it the leave is cut to 15 weeks.
Manitoba	17 weeks of unpaid maternity leave for employees with 7 consecutive months of service with the same employer.
Ontario	Up to 17 weeks of unpaid pregnancy leave. The employee must have started work at least 13 weeks before the due date. The leave continues past 17 weeks if the baby has not yet been born.

We could not confirm current figures for Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador or the territories. Check with that province's or territory's employment standards office.

Example: Planning cover at a Saskatoon florist

Priya runs a 6-person flower shop in Saskatoon. In March, her designer Leah hands her a letter saying she will start maternity leave on 1 June, about four weeks before her due date. Leah has worked at the shop for two years, and the letter arrives more than four weeks before the start date.

Priya notes that Saskatchewan gives 19 weeks of maternity leave, so the maternity portion ends in mid-October. She writes back to confirm the dates, hires a temporary designer on a fixed-term contract, and puts the expected return date in her calendar. Leah also plans to take parental leave, so Priya asks her to confirm those dates in writing as well.

Hollis tracks the dates

Hollis, part of the Staffkin HR Suite, tracks leave return dates so you can see when an employee on maternity leave is due back and plan cover around it.

Try Hollis live

Free tools and guides for this

Questions about maternity leave (pregnancy leave)

Do I have to pay an employee on maternity leave?

No. Employment standards laws make maternity leave unpaid. You can choose to top up government benefits, but the law only requires you to grant the leave and protect the job.

How long is maternity leave in Ontario?

Up to 17 weeks of unpaid pregnancy leave, for an employee who started work at least 13 weeks before the due date. It can run longer if the baby has not been born after 17 weeks.

Can I hire a replacement while someone is on maternity leave?

Yes, you can hire temporary cover. You cannot use the leave as a reason to end the employee's job, and she must be able to return to the same or a comparable job.

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 4 November 2026.