Effective December 12, 2025, federally regulated employees benefit from new protections related to pregnancy loss and the death of a child.
The Institute first highlighted these developments in its Late-Breaking Payroll News on July 10, 2024, following Royal Assent of Bill C-59. The amendments include the below
- A new 16-week unpaid adoption leave and a new 15-week EI adoption benefit for adoptive parents, including surrogate parents. The additional week of leave considers the waiting period before receiving the EI benefit.
- A new leave of absence for pregnancy loss of up to eight weeks, with the first three days paid for those who have completed three (3) consecutive months of continuous employment.
- An expansion of bereavement leave up to 10 days in the event of the death of a child or a family member for whom they were on compassionate care or critical illness leave.
- A new record-keeping requirement for leave requests.
Federally regulated employers should take immediate steps to ensure full compliance.
- Review and update internal leave policies or collective agreements to reflect the new entitlements and timelines.
- Communicate the changes clearly to employees, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to supporting them during critical life events.
- Train HR, payroll and management teams on the expanded rights and related procedures.
- Audit current record-keeping practices to ensure they meet the new statutory requirements.