Parental benefits are available to a birth or adoptive mother or spouse/partner for a period of 35 
weeks. The benefits can be accessed by one parent or shared. A claim for parental benefits must start 
no later than 52 weeks after the baby is born. A birth mother’s claim for parental leave must follow her 
maternity leave claim.

To facilitate claims, members are encouraged to apply for EI benefits online at the Service Canada 
website at www.servicecanada.gc.ca.

For more information, check the Service Canada website at: www.servicecanada.gc.ca. or visit your 
local Service Canada office for the publication Employment Insurance: Maternity, Parental and 
Sickness Benefits. You may also wish to download a copy of the ETFO resource Pregnancy and Parental 
Leave - A Guide to Rights and Responsibilities from the ETFO website. This bilingual resource contains 
helpful information for members preparing for the birth or adoption of a child.

A MEMBER’S GUIDE TO PREGNANCY AND PARENTAL LEAVE

The new ETFO booklet sets out a general guide to member rights and responsibilities under the 
Employment Standards Act,

 the Employment Insurance Act and Collective Agreement entitlements. 

It is available at http://www.etfo.ca/adviceformembers/pregnancyparental/pages/default.aspx in both 
PDF and RTF formats.

The chart on the following page highlights the benefits available through federal legislation (i.e. 
payment of Employment Insurance) and through Ontario provincial legislation (i.e. right to leave of 
absence). You should also check your collective agreement to see what other benefits apply such as 
Supplementary Employment Benefits (SEB) plan payments or conditions for extended leaves.

Teachers continue to contribute to the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan during statutory leaves unless 
they sign a waiver giving up this right.

ln Conclusion

We hope you found this introduction to ETFO, its programs, and its services a useful guide as a new 
member. Remember, ETFO is your protective and professional organization. Make sure you are in the 
picture.

We welcome you, we look forward to working with you, and we invite you to make the most of your 
membership.

We are as close as your telephone, or your internet connection.

Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario

136 Isabella Street Toronto, Ontario M4Y 0B5 
Telephone: 416-962-3836
Toll-free: 1-888-838-3836
Fax: 416-642-2424
Website: www.etfo.ca

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WELCOME TO THE  

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