Article 30.07 of the Collective Agreement outlines the provisions available to those applying for Maternity, Adoption and Parental Leave.
More information is available on the UBC Website:
https://hr.ubc.ca/benefits/benefit-plan-details/vacation-leaves/maternity-parental-adoptive-leave
Applying for Maternity/Parental Leave
1. Forward your mat leave dates (must start on a Monday) to department administrator. Vacation time must be taken before or after maternity/parental leave.
2. Your dept. administrator submits leave dates to payroll service rep.
3. After Payroll receives the dates, you must call to arrange signing of memo regarding return to work in presence of the mat leave contact, a shop steward and a manager. The memo can be signed when picking up the ROE or before going off on mat leave. Call Pat at 604-822-2026.
4. Contact Payroll to arrange for the earliest pick-up of your ROE. The ROE won’t be ready until your last day of work or later.
5. The ROE is sent directly from UBC to EI however you need to retain your copy in case EI asks you for it. Application for maternity/parental leave can be done in person at the EI office closest to your home or on the web at https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-maternity-parental.html
Once you have applied and sent in your first dates, you don’t need to continue sending in cards or filling out forms on the web. In the case of mat/parental leave they just carry on sending your cheques. If you applied and filled in your first cards on-line you may get a message when you try to fill in the next time-frame telling you to send in your cards. You do not have to do that for mat/parental leave. When the application asks if you will be getting funding from another source they are not referring to the top-up so they want you to say “no”.
6. Usually there is a 2-week waiting period for the EI application to clear and typically another week until you receive your first EI cheque. EI does not cover your first two weeks of leave.
7. When you receive your first payment from EI, a copy of the cheque stub must be mailed, faxed to 604-822-9233, or taken to Pat in payroll. This starts the top-up. Direct deposits for top-up usually start within 1 – 2 weeks. Top-up brings total income to 95% of salary for 17 weeks and coverage begins the first day of mat leave.
8. After the baby is born you must deliver the Baby Enrollment Form to Payroll ASAP. This form is given to you at the hospital.
9. Your benefits will not be interrupted between the time you go on mat leave and return. Dental, and Extended Health benefits are currently 100% employer paid and will be maintained for the duration of the leave. If you drop Basic Group Life Insurance, Long-Term Disability Insurance and the Pension Plan, they will automatically be reinstated the first day of the month on or after the date of return. Optional Life Insurance, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance and Spousal Life Insurance can only be maintained in conjunction with Basic Group Life. If you discontinue any of these Insurances and wish to rejoin on your return to work, you will have to reapply, submitting a health questionnaire. A medical exam at your expense may be required. If you drop IRP (Income Replacement Plan) there is a one-year waiting period before you can rejoin. The employer will only contribute their portion of the Pension Plan if you contribute your portion. If you drop the Pension plan you will be automatically re-instated the first day of the month on or after the date you return.
10. On return to work you can apply for the remaining 5% top-up immediately by contacting Pat in writing. Payment is only made on request and employee may make request on return or after 6 months of employment following return.
11. You must return to work for a minimum equivalent of six months full-time to be eligible for the top-up. If you do not complete this time period you will be required to pay back the UBC top-up portion you received in full.
12. You will accrue vacation and sick time at 100% for first 4 weeks of leave and for the remaining leave of 13 weeks will accrue vacation and sick time on the top-up portion only. You will continue to accrue seniority for the duration of the leave. Employment is deemed continuous for the purpose of calculating future annual vacation entitlement.
EI allows 17 weeks maternity leave with 15 of those weeks paid. The first two weeks are unpaid. EI allows a further 35 weeks parental leave with all those weeks paid.
UBC allows 17 weeks maternity leave and coverage starts immediately. UBC allows a further 35 weeks unpaid parental leave.
