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Planning your maternity leave

Last updated on October 17, 2025

Begin planning your maternity leave at least ten weeks (ideally sooner) before your baby's due date.

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Confirm eligibility

Check your BC Public Service employment terms and conditions and agreements to confirm what maternity benefits are offered:

If you're not eligible for maternity leave and allowance under the terms and conditions of employment or a collective agreement, your follows the Employment Standards Act.

You must complete the following letter:

Your supervisor submits the document through an AskMyHR (IDIR restricted) service request using the categories: My Team or Organization > Leave & Time Off > Maternity, Parental, Adoption.

Leave options

As the birth parent, once maternity leave has concluded you can immediately take parental leave. Refer to Parental leave and allowance for BC Public Service employees for more information.

 

Maternity leave waiting period = up to 2 weeks
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Maternity leave = up to 15 weeks (up to a combined total of 17 weeks)
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Standard parental leave = up to 35 weeks (up to a combined total of 52 weeks)
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Extended parental leave = up to 26 weeks (up to a combined total of 78 weeks/18 months)

When to begin maternity leave

You can choose to begin your maternity leave anytime up to 13 weeks before your expected date of birth. You can use the Maternity and Parental Leave Calculator (XLSM, 41KB) to help you determine the dates of your leave.

Employment Insurance (EI) pay periods run Sunday to Saturday inclusive. EI does not pay for partial weeks. It’s in your best interest to begin the EI portion of your maternity leave on a Sunday, if possible. However, you must start maternity leave as soon as your baby is born.

The start date of your leave will always be the day after your last day worked, and/or including any leave banks (example: vacation) taken, or until the day your doctor cleared you to work.

There are a few circumstances that can affect the start date of your leave.

If your baby is born early, you must begin maternity leave on the day the baby is born.

Within six weeks of your expected due date:

  • If you cannot perform your full duties, and need to be absent from work, your maternity leave starts when your absence starts.
  • If you're within those six weeks and want to return to work from sick leave, your supervisor may require you to provide a doctor's note to clear you to return to work full-time/full-time duties.

If you become ill before your leave begins, and within or prior to the six-week period before your expected date of birth, contact AskMyHR (IDIR restricted) to confirm your leave start date.

Submit a service request using the categories: Myself > Leave & Time Off > Maternity, Parental, Adoption.

You must notify your supervisor in writing at least four weeks before the start of your leave. If you apply for a leave allowance, your allowance must start on the same day as your leave. The duration of your leave and allowance do not change based on when your leave starts. Note that you can defer your decision (wait until later) to claim a leave allowance.

Timeline: maternity leave and leave allowance applications

Decisions to make before your maternity leave begins

Allowance

To be entitled to maternity leave allowance, you are agreeing that you will return to work immediately after your leave ends and remain employed by the BC Public Service for at least six months or the length of the leave you take, whichever is longer. If you do not, you will have to pay back all the allowance you received.

If you're unsure if you'll return after your leave, you may want to defer, or not take, the maternity leave allowance. Refer to Maternity leave allowance: information for BC Public Service employees

Benefits

If you do not want to continue your benefits coverage, you must cancel coverage for the duration of your leave. There's no option to cancel Employee Basic Life Insurance and long-term disability (LTD) coverage. Ensure you review Benefits, pension, vacation accrual and payroll deductions

Taxes

In some cases, your pay may not have enough taxes deducted and will need to be adjusted at the end of the tax year. If you want additional taxes deducted from your maternity leave allowance, submit a TD1 form (Canada Revenue Agency) through an AskMyHR (IDIR restricted) service request using the categories: Myself > Submit a Form or Document > Direct Deposit/Tax Forms (TD1)

At least 10 weeks before your expected date of birth

Notify your supervisor in writing of the expected date of birth in anticipation of your upcoming maternity leave.

If you're electing to start your maternity leave 13 weeks prior to your expected date of birth, you must still notify your supervisor in writing at least 4 weeks prior to the start of your leave.

At least four weeks before your expected date of birth

You

Submit the following document to your supervisor:

If you're not eligible for maternity leave and allowance under the terms and conditions of employment or a collective agreement, your leave follows the  Employment Standards Act.  You must complete the following letter:

You should submit your document as early as possible, but no sooner than 2 months before the start of your leave. The latest date by which you can submit is 4 weeks before your expected date of birth.

Your supervisor

Once you complete and submit your application, your supervisor will receive a notification to review and approve it. Once your supervisor approves it, a service request will automatically be created.

If you submitted a letter to your supervisor, they will submit the letter through an AskMyHR (IDIR restricted) service request using the categories: My Team or Organization > Leave & Time Off > Maternity, Parental, Adoption.

If you or your supervisor have any questions, contact AskMyHR (IDIR restricted) by submitting a service request using the categories: Myself (or) My Team or Organization > Leave & Time Off > Maternity, Parental, Adoption.

When your maternity leave begins

  • Apply for Employment Insurance on the Government of Canada website
  • Payroll services will electronically submit your record of employment (ROE) directly to Service Canada
  • The earliest an ROE can be issued is 5 days after the end of the pay period in which your leave started. Plan for a delay between your last paycheque and your first EI payment and allowance (if claiming).

After your first EI payment

Once you receive your first EI payment, and you applied for maternity leave allowance, submit an AskMyHR (IDIR restricted) service request using the categories: Myself > Leave & Time Off > Maternity, Parental, Adoption.

Include the following:

  • Your name and employee number
  • A copy of your 'My Latest Claim' EI page. It should show:
    • Service Canada header
    • Your name
    • Type of benefit
    • Your benefit waiting period dates (if applicable)
    • Benefit amount
    • Start and end dates of your approved EI claim

If you cannot access AskMyHR, send the information to your supervisor to submit for you.

After the birth

Update your extended health and dental benefits and your life insurance.

You have 60 days from the birth of your baby to make changes to your Optional Life Insurance selections or to your flexible benefits options, if applicable.

One month before your maternity leave ends

Inform your supervisor, in writing, at least one month before the end of your maternity leave if:

Miscarriage, termination and stillbirth

If you have a miscarriage, termination or stillbirth more than 19 weeks into your pregnancy, you are eligible to take up to 17 consecutive weeks of maternity leave starting from the date of the miscarriage, termination or stillbirth. For mental and emotional support, consider using the Employee and Family Assistance Services (EFAS) available to all BC Public Service employees. This program offers counselling, family support and healthy living services.

Please review the information under these sections: 

You will need to complete and submit the following application to your supervisor:

You’re eligible for the maternity leave allowance if you’re receiving EI benefits and are either a regular (full- or part-time) employee or an auxiliary employee eligible for maternity leave benefits as per your collective agreement or terms and conditions of employment:

  • Apply for Employment Insurance on the Government of Canada website
  • Payroll services will electronically submit your record of employment (ROE) directly to Service Canada
  • The earliest an ROE can be issued is 5 days after the end of the pay period in which your leave started

After your first EI payment, submit an AskMyHR (IDIR restricted) service request using the categories: Myself > Leave & Time Off > Maternity, Parental, Adoption.

Include the following:

  • Your name and employee number
  • A copy of your 'My Latest Claim' EI page. It should show:
    • Your benefit waiting period dates (if applicable)
    • Benefit amount
    • Start and end dates of your approved EI claim

If you cannot access AskMyHR, send the information to your supervisor to submit for you.

If you’re not able to return to work after your Maternity leave ends, you may be eligible for leave under the Short-term Illness and Injury Plan. Please contact your supervisor prior to your return-to-work date.

If you have any questions, contact AskMyHR (IDIR restricted) by submitting a service request using the categories: Myself > Leave & Time Off > Maternity, Parental, Adoption or by calling 1-877-277-0772