Canada Labour Code

Marginal note:Entitlement to leave

• 206 (1) Every employee is entitled to and shall be granted a leave of absence from employment of up to 17 weeks, which leave may begin not earlier than 13 weeks prior to the estimated date of her confinement and end not later than 17 weeks following the actual date of her confinement, if the employee:

  • (a) has completed six consecutive months of continuous employment with an employer; and

  • (b) provides her employer with a certificate of a qualified medical practitioner certifying that she is pregnant.

• Marginal note:Extension of period

  (1.1) If the confinement has not occurred during the 17 weeks of her leave of absence, the leave of absence is extended until the date of her confinement.

• Marginal note:Extension of period — child in hospital

  (2) If, during the period of 17 weeks following the date of confinement, the child who was born is hospitalized, the period is extended by the number of weeks during which the child is hospitalized.

• Marginal note:Limitation

  (3) An extension under subsection (2) must not result in the period being longer than 52 weeks.