An employer may require the employee to pay the contributions required to maintain the benefits. Benefit plans that an employee can continue participating in while on leave include medical, dental, disability or life insurance, accidental death or dismemberment, registered retirement savings plan, and other pension plans. An employee must notify the employer, in writing, at least 14 days before the day the employee plans to return to work. An employer is not required to allow an employee to return until this notice is received. An employee gets at least the same rate of pay with no loss of pension or similar benefits.
Seniority continues to increase at the normal rate while an employee is on leave.
Maternity, adoption and parental leave does not affect annual holidays. After returning from the leave, an employee gets the same annual holidays the employee would have received if the leave had not been taken. Annual holiday pay may be lower since it is a percentage of the previous year s earnings. Where a woman s duties are modified, there can be no cut in wages or benefits. If there is no opportunity to assign modified duties, the woman may be required to commence maternity leave up to 13 weeks before the estimated date of birth.