HR glossary · Leave, health and benefits

Parental leave

Parental leave is unpaid, job-protected time off for a new parent to care for a newborn or newly adopted child. The length is set by each province.

Also called: paternity leave, adoption leave, childcare leave

What parental leave means

Parental leave is time off that any new parent can take to care for a new child. It covers birth parents, non-birth parents and adoptive parents. Like other job-protected leaves, the employee has the right to come back to the same or a comparable job when it ends.

Parental leave is different from maternity or pregnancy leave. Maternity leave is only for the pregnant employee. Parental leave is for every parent, and a birth parent often takes it straight after maternity leave. In several provinces the birth parent gets a slightly shorter parental leave because the two leaves together are capped.

Employers do not pay wages during parental leave under employment standards law. Your job is to grant the leave, keep the position, and make the return smooth. Because parental leave can run more than a year, it has a bigger effect on a small team than most other leaves.

How it works

The employee gives you notice of the start date, usually in writing. Parental leave can often start any time within a set window after the birth or the child's arrival home. In Ontario, the leave must start within 78 weeks of the birth or arrival, but it does not have to finish within that time.

Both parents can take parental leave, even if they work for the same employer. When parents work for different employers, each employer deals only with its own employee's request. Under the Canada Labour Code, the combined maternity and parental leave cannot exceed 78 weeks for one parent, or 86 weeks when the parents share the parental leave.

Plan for the length. Ask the employee to confirm the expected return date in writing, and keep it on file. Hire temporary cover on a fixed-term contract if you need it, and make it clear the cover ends when the employee returns. If the employee wants to come back early or later, follow your province's notice rules.

Common mistakes: assuming a non-birth father or adoptive parent has no right to leave, treating a long leave as a resignation, and giving the returning employee a lesser job. Keep in touch during the leave if the employee agrees, but do not pressure them to come back early.

Parental leave by province

Every jurisdiction offers parental leave, but the number of weeks differs, and some give the birth parent fewer weeks if they also took maternity leave.

Where the work is done	The rule
Federal	Up to 63 weeks. Combined maternity and parental leave cannot exceed 78 weeks, or 86 weeks when the parents share the parental leave.
British Columbia	Up to 61 consecutive weeks if the birth parent took maternity leave, otherwise up to 62. It can be extended by up to 5 weeks if the child needs extra care.
Alberta	Birth and adoptive parents can each take up to 62 weeks. A birth mother can take up to 78 weeks in total with maternity leave.
Saskatchewan	Up to 59 weeks for a parent who took maternity or adoption leave, and up to 71 weeks in other cases.
Manitoba	Unpaid parental leave of up to 63 continuous weeks.
Ontario	Up to 61 weeks for a birth parent who took pregnancy leave, and up to 63 weeks for all other new parents. The leave must start within 78 weeks of the birth or arrival.

We could not confirm current parental leave lengths for Quebec, the Atlantic provinces or the territories. Check with that office before you reply to a request.

Example: Two parents, one Calgary café

Tomás owns a 12-person café in Calgary. Two of his baristas, Ana and Ben, are a couple expecting their first child. Ana plans to take 16 weeks of maternity leave and then parental leave. Ben wants to take parental leave starting the week the baby is born.

Tomás checks Alberta's rules: each parent can take up to 62 weeks of parental leave, and Ana can take up to 78 weeks in total with her maternity leave. Both have worked at the café for more than 90 days. He confirms both sets of dates in writing, adds both return dates to his calendar, and posts a fixed-term barista job to cover the busiest months.

Hollis drafts the letter

Hollis, part of the Staffkin HR Suite, drafts province-specific leave approval letters for your review; it never sends anything on its own.

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Questions about parental leave

Can fathers take parental leave in Canada?

Yes. Parental leave is available to any new parent, including fathers, non-birth parents and adoptive parents, in every province and territory.

Is parental leave paid by the employer?

No. Employment standards laws make parental leave unpaid. Employees may get government benefits, and some employers choose to top them up.

How long is parental leave in Ontario?

Up to 61 weeks for a birth parent who took pregnancy leave, and up to 63 weeks for other new parents. It must start within 78 weeks of the birth or the child's arrival.

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.