Benefits, pension and payroll while on pre-placement adoption leave
Last updated on January 15, 2026
Learn about the options and choices you can make for your benefits, pension and payroll deductions while on pre-placement adoption leave and how this leave affects your vacation time.
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​Benefits
Benefits in place before your leave will remain in place during the leave, but you can cancel extended health and dental coverage and any optional life insurance plans if your leave is consecutive and over a calendar month.
You must maintain Employee Basic Life Insurance and long-term disability coverage when you take this leave. There is no option to waive this coverage.
Effective April 1, 2022, if you resign or do not fulfill the full return to work requirements, any benefits that were maintained by the employer and/or flex credits paid on your behalf during your leave prior to April 1, 2022, will need to be repaid
Cancelling benefits while on leave
Bargaining Unit benefits
To cancel extended health, dental or any of the optional life insurance plans you do not wish to maintain, review How to update your coverage on the Benefits for Bargaining Unit employees page.
You must maintain Employee Basic Life Insurance and long-term disability coverage. There is no option to waive this coverage.
Flexible benefits for excluded employees
To cancel extended health, dental or any of the optional life insurance plans you do not wish to maintain, refer to How to update your coverage on the Benefits for excluded employees page.
You must maintain Employee Basic Life Insurance and long-term disability coverage. There's no option to waive this coverage.
If you cancel coverage under the Flexible Benefits Program, you'll receive additional flex credits for the length of your leave, or until you reinstate coverage during Open Enrolment or as a result of an eligible life event.
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If you return from your leave in a new plan year, you will have the opportunity to make elections at that time and reinstate your benefits
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If you return from your leave in the same plan year, you will have to wait until the next Open Enrolment or an eligible life event to reinstate your benefits
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You will need to provide Evidence of Insurability for Flexible Benefits (PDF, 520KB) if you apply for optional life insurance for yourself and/or your spouse
If you do not meet the return-to-work requirements, you'll be required to repay the flex credits received in lieu of extended health and dental during the leave and flex credits received for life insurance coverage for the period of leave prior to April 1, 2022.
Continuing Optional Life Insurance coverage while on leave
You can pay the premiums and maintain the Optional Life Insurance coverage if your leave is consecutive and over a calendar month and you:
- Are not eligible for the allowance
- Waive your allowance
- Defer your allowance
The Optional life insurance plans include:
- Optional Family Funeral Benefit
- Employee Optional Life Insurance
- Spouse Optional Life Insurance
- Child Optional Life Insurance
- Employee Optional Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance
- Spouse Optional Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance
- Child Optional Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance
Within 30 days of starting your leave, complete the Option to Continue Employee Benefits While on Employment Standards Act Leave of Absence Without Pay form (PDF, 305KB).
Refer to Benefits while on leave without pay.
Submit forms through an AskMyHR (IDIR restricted) service request using the categories: Myself (or) My Team or Organization > Benefits > Submit a Health Benefit Form/Application.
Vacation
Your entitlement may be pro-rated depending on the amount of leave you take in a calendar month.
Your vacation entitlements and vacation pay continues to accrue if you're covered under the Crown Counsel Agreement and return to work for a period not less than 6 months after being on leave.
Pension
Pension contributions are based solely on the maternity, parental or pre-placement adoption allowance you receive while you're on leave. You can purchase the remaining service for your leave within 5 years of the end of your leave period or before termination of employment, whichever occurs first.
If you are not returning to work after the leave, and you want to purchase the service, the application must be made while on leave (and therefore an active member) in order to be eligible to purchase.
If you do not apply to purchase a leave before terminating employment, you have lost the opportunity to purchase the service, even if you become an active plan member again.
Payroll deductions
- You may wish to cancel some deductions from your pay while you're on leave.
- If you've applied for the Deferred Salary Leave program, you can suspend your contributions while on a temporary leave.
To suspend contributions, submit an AskMyHR (IDIR restricted) service request using the categories: Myself > Leave & Time Off > Deferred Salary Leave.
Deductions must commence once you return from your leave. Notify AskMyHR when you return from your leave to reinstate your deductions by submitting an AskMyHR (IDIR restricted) service request using the categories: Myself > Leave & Time Off > Deferred Salary Leave.