Changes to Parental Leave Benefits 

Procedures for Application

Faculty members should complete the Parental Leave Application Form for paid and/or unpaid parental leave and provide to the Department Chair at least 3 months prior to the anticipated commencement of the leave.

Employment Insurance Parental Benefits

You must obtain the forms required for Employment Insurance (EI) parental benefits from your local EI office at Service Canada. The SFU Payroll department will file a Record of Employment (ROE) electronically with the EI office once your leave begins. EI will have this record of employment to refer to when you process your application for benefits. As of January 1, 2017, the required waiting period before receiving EI benefits has changed to 1 week (from 2 weeks). For further information: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/waiting-period.html

It is important that you confirm on the Parental Leave Application Form whether you are required to serve the one-week waiting period before receiving EI benefits. In many cases, when parental leave is shared, the other parent may have already served the one-week waiting period. If you are required to serve the waiting period, the university pays that first week at 95% salary, but you must advise us that you are required to serve the one-week waiting period.

Resources 

Tools:

Parental Blue Cross - Employee Change Form (To add new family member)

Collective Agreement Article:

Article 47: Leaves of Absence (Leave for New Parents, sections 47.10 to 47.23)

Tools:

Parental Leave Application Form     Dec 5/18