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In Ontario, pregnancy leave under the ESA gives eligible employees up to 17 weeks of unpaid, job-protected time off. This is separate from parental leave. An employee who takes pregnancy leave is then entitled to up to 61 additional weeks of parental leave, meaning a team member could be away for up to 78 weeks in total. Knowing this upfront helps you plan coverage and manage the transition.

It depends on the employee’s situation. Employees who took pregnancy leave can take up to 61 weeks of parental leave. All other new parents on your team—including fathers, partners and adoptive parents—can take up to 63 weeks. Both figures fall under the ESA and the leave is unpaid, though federal EI benefits provide income support. Knowing the difference helps you plan coverage and manage each leave accurately.

There’s no separate paternity leave category under Ontario’s ESA, so it’s not something you’ll manage as a standalone entitlement. When a father or partner on your team requests time off for a new child, that request falls under parental leave—up to 63 weeks of unpaid, job-protected time off. The entitlement is the same as for any other new parent, with full job protection and access to federal EI parental benefits, so you can apply consistent rules across your team.

It helps to understand what your employees receive so you can support their planning. Maternity benefits and standard parental benefits pay 55% of an employee’s average weekly insurable earnings, up to a maximum of $729 per week in 2026. Extended parental benefits pay 33%, up to $437 per week. Maternity benefits last up to 15 weeks. Standard parental benefits can be shared for up to 40 weeks between parents, and extended parental benefits for up to 69 weeks. Visit the to learn more.

No. Under the ESA, pregnancy and parental leave are unpaid, so you aren’t required to pay wages while a team member is on leave. Some employers choose to offer voluntary top-up payments to supplement EI benefits, but this isn’t a legal obligation. If you do offer a top-up, it must meet federal conditions so it doesn’t reduce your employee’s EI benefits.

Yes, and it’s worth planning for. Both parents can be on parental leave simultaneously under the ESA, so if you employ two parents of the same child, you may need to manage overlapping absences. EI parental benefits can also be received at the same time or one after another—that’s up to the family. When both parents share EI parental benefits, they unlock bonus weeks: five extra on the standard option or eight extra on the extended option. Knowing this helps you anticipate coverage gaps and plan staffing ahead of time.

As an employer, you must reinstate employees returning from pregnancy or parental leave to their previous role or a comparable one at the same rate of pay. You must continue your share of benefit plan premiums during leave, can’t require an employee to return early and can’t penalise anyone for taking or planning to take leave. Failing to reinstate a returning employee is a violation of the ESA, so getting this right protects both your team and your business.