Parental leave provides BC Public Service employees with time away from work to care for a newborn or newly adopted child. This leave can be taken by either parent and can be shared between them.
There are two types of parental leave available:
You may be eligible for:
Check your BC Public Service employment terms and conditions and agreements to confirm what maternity benefits are offered:
If you're an auxiliary employee without leave benefits, your maternity leave follows the Employment Standards Act.
If you are the birthing parent and have taken maternity leave, you may take up to 61 consecutive weeks of parental leave immediately following your maternity leave.
First you (may) serve a two-week waiting period, then take 15 weeks maternity leave and afterward take 35 (standard) to 61 (extended) weeks parental leave.
If you are a non-birthing parent, you may take up to 63 consecutive weeks of parental leave, which must begin within 78 weeks of your child’s birth or adoption. This includes adoptive parents and same-sex partners.
First you (may) serve a two-week waiting period, then take 35 (standard) to 61 (extended) weeks parental leave.
Both birthing and non-birthing parents may also be eligible for an additional 5 consecutive weeks of unpaid leave if the child has a physical, psychological, or emotional condition requiring extended care.
If both parents are sharing parental leave, the two of you can share your leave by splitting it up with one another. Often, one parent will take the maximum amount of leave (standard or extended) and the other parent will take five or eight weeks of parental leave.
The simplest way to apply for maternity leave and allowance is to use the digital journey guided application.
If you cannot access the digital journey guided application, you will need to fill out and submit a form