Released on November 21, 2018
Today the Government of Saskatchewan announced changes to some job-protected leaves in an amendment to The Saskatchewan Employment Act.Maternity and adoption leave will increase from 18 weeks to 19 weeks, which will make Saskatchewan a leader in the country, offering the longest maternity and adoption leave in Canada.
A total of 78 weeks of leave will be available to new mothers or can be shared between parents. On top of the 19-week maternity leave, the province will extend parental leave from 34 to 59 weeks for the mother of a child, if she chooses to take the full leave. If another parent decides to take the entire leave or is collecting Employment Insurance benefits, they will see parental leave expand from 37 weeks to 63 weeks.
The government also announced a new critically ill adult leave which will offer 17 weeks for workers to care for critically ill adult family members.
Changes to the parental leave and the addition of a critically ill adult leave align job-protected leave provisions with benefits available through the federal Employment Insurance program.
“During a major life event, such as bringing a child into the family or assisting a loved one experiencing a serious illness, workers should not have to worry about job security,” Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Minister Don Morgan said. “Some of these amendments were also made to allow Saskatchewan workers to fully access benefits from the federal government.”
The government also extended the 10 days of interpersonal violence leave to include survivors of all forms of sexual violence. The time can be used to seek medical or legal help, access support services, or re-locate to a safe space.
-30-
For more information, contact:
Rikki Boté
Labour Relations and Workplace Safety
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4156
Email: Rikki.bote@gov.sk.ca