Pregnancy and parental leave

A buyer meets these leaves when diligence lists an employee who is away or about to be. The list shows who may return and under which statute. See what happens to an employee on leave when the business is sold.

How each statute words it

• Ontario: a pregnant employee is entitled to pregnancy leave of absence without pay (section 46), subject to a length-of-employment condition, and a parent employed for the period the Act sets is entitled to parental leave (section 48). On return the employer shall reinstate the employee to the position most recently held if it still exists, or a comparable one, unless employment ended solely for reasons unrelated to the leave (section 53).
• Federal: the Canada Labour Code grants maternity leave on a health care practitioner’s certificate that the employee is pregnant (section 206) and parental leave to care for a newborn or an adopted child, subject to its conditions (section 206.1).
• British Columbia: a pregnant employee who requests it is entitled to maternity leave, with the request in writing (section 50), and parents can request parental leave under the following section.

See also protected leave. This entry covers Ontario, the federal Code and British Columbia only; check the rules where you are.