07 Jun Leaves of Absence – Reservist, Organ Donor, Jury Duty, Voting, Pregnancy & Parental
Last week we discussed four leaves of absence intended to help employees cope with various personal and familial emergencies. This week we will try and end this series on a brighter note as we go over six more types of job-protected leaves of absence this week.
Job-Protected Leaves of Absence
As well as the leaves of absence highlighted last week, and the general guidelines about leaves of absence in Ontario outlined the week prior it’s now time to look at 6 more job related leaves of absence.
Reservist Leave
This leave is for military reservists deployed to a domestic or international operation to deal with an emergency or its aftermath. It lasts for the duration of the reservist’s operations. The reservists must, however, have been with their employer for at least six consecutive months prior to their deployment to qualify for this leave.
Organ Donor Leave
This is for employees having surgery to donate an organ (kidney, liver, lung, pancreas, small bowel). This leave begins the day of surgery unless otherwise specified in a certificate issued by a medical practitioner. The leave can last up to 13 weeks with the possibility of up to an additional 13 weeks if the employee is not yet able to do their job because of the surgery.
Jury Duty Leave
Employees are generally entitled to take time off for jury duty. The length of the leave depends on the length of the trial. However, if an employee’s absence – prolonged or otherwise – would cause undue hardship to an employer’s business, the employer may make a written application to have their employee’s jury duty postponed.
Voting Leave
Anyone qualified to vote in a municipal, provincial or federal election is entitled to three consecutive hours off while the polls are open. It is the employer’s right to grant this time off at their convenience. However, since many polls are open late, providing employees with this leave may not always be necessary.
Pregnancy and Parental Leaves
Easily the happiest of the leaves available, we gave a comprehensive overview of pregnancy and parental leave here. However, as a refresher: Pregnancy leave is for pregnant women whereas parental leave is for any parent of a newborn. You are entitled to pregnancy leave as long as you began your current employment at least 13 weeks before your expected due date. This leave lasts up to 17 weeks and can start up to 17 weeks prior to your expected due date.
Parental leave is for new parents of all stripes (birth, adopting, or someone in a relationship with the parent of a newborn intending to treat said child as their own). It is 37 weeks (35 for women who also took a 17-week pregnancy leave) and is unpaid.
Leave of Absence Specialists
If your work position has been negatively impacted by a leave of absence, KCY at LAW has the expertise to ensure that your rights are protected. Call us on (905) 639-0999 to book a consultation or contact us online now!