When New Zealand announced a new pregnancy loss leave, the world celebrated. But what kind of supports can you access in Canada? We break it down.
in April 2020, Reena Gill was back on the job as a nurse in the acute psychiatry ward of a hospital in Victoria, B.C., working 12-hour shifts in full personal protective equipment, just as the pandemic took off in Canada. She had already used several of her sick days and figured being back at work would be a good distraction.Gill was having a hard time focusing. She kept forgetting things and was constantly second-guessing herself.
“I really can’t believe those were the only options given to me,” says Gill, who’s pregnant again and in her third trimester. “I wish there was something else for the loss of a child and that it doesn’t matter how many weeks you were along, or what complications—mental, emotional, physical—you have.”
So, we did it for you. Here’s what you may be entitled to if you experience pregnancy loss in Canada.If your pregnancy ends before week 20, you may be eligible for Employment Insurance sickness benefits if your physical or mental health prevents you from doing your job. If you lose your baby in week 20 or later, you may be able to access maternity benefits.
“A lot of women who have lost their babies during pregnancy will often try as soon as they possibly can, because it’s a way for them to try to get that baby back,” she says. “What I hear from a lot of moms is that they feel like they don’t have the luxury of taking time off because they know they have to get back into the workforce to get their numbers in for maternity leave.”
The committee heard from several parents and advocates, including Dunning Chadwick and Empty Cradle, and released a report recommending a suite of changes to better support parents, including creating EI bereavement leave benefits that provide grieving parents with income support for 12 to 15 weeks. “I think everybody should have that time to grieve,” Richards says. “No one should suffer stress on top of their grief as a result of government policies.
For instance, in Alberta, you’re entitled to 16 weeks off if your pregnancy ends in a miscarriage or stillbirth within 16 weeks of the estimated due date and if you’ve worked for your employer for at least 90 days. Meanwhile, in B.C., you can take six weeks off, plus an additional six weeks if you’re still too unwell to work, regardless of how long you’ve been pregnant or worked for your employer.
The pandemic has put the spotlight on the importance of paid sick days, with many advocates pushing for better policies across the country. Jimenez points out that many workers can’t afford to take unpaid leave. “For a minimum wage worker, one whole day of work is the difference between being able to pay your phone bill or not that month. That’s groceries for two weeks. That’s part of your car insurance.”
Saskatchewan allows employees who had a stillbirth to take five unpaid days of bereavement leave. New Brunswick allows those who experienced any type of pregnancy loss to take five unpaid days off.
She would like to see better bereavement leave across the country that includes pregnancy loss. “Including pregnancy and infant loss in an appropriate bereavement leave recognizes this type of loss alongside other deaths of loved ones,” she says. “This then serves parents in that their grief is deemed as valid, which is emotionally protective as they continue on a healing journey.”
While it’s rare for workplaces to offer dedicated pregnancy loss leave, some progressive companies are leading the way. For example, Reddit, which opened its first Canadian office in Toronto in March, offers eight-and-a-half paid weeks off for pregnant and non-pregnant people who experience a loss.
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