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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