In 2021, Quebec fathers took an average of 10 weeks of leave from work to welcome the arrival of their child – a record in 16 years! This increase was made possible by the adoption of more flexible rules on shared parental leave.
A leave meant exclusively for you
As a parent, you are entitled to a leave of your own. This leave is exclusive: this means that you cannot transfer it to the other parent.
How many weeks of leave are you entitled to? If you’re a father, your exclusive leave will be five weeks long. If you’re a mother, it will be 18 weeks long.
A second leave, designed to be shared
In addition to this exclusive leave, you have access to a period of leave that can be shared with the other parent as the two of you see fit. In total, you and the other parent are entitled to share 32 weeks of leave.
How you split the leave is left entirely to you and the other parent. All combinations are possible. For instance, one parent could take the entire 32 weeks of leave, or both parents could take 16 weeks each, so long as the leave taken by both parents totals 32 weeks.
Four bonus weeks
Since 2021, the government has been promoting a more equitable division of parental responsibilities. As a result, if each parent takes at least eight weeks of the shareable leave, you will be entitled to four more weeks of leave. This bonus leave is also shareable: you may split it as you see fit.
Am I entitled to receive any benefits?
If you are eligible for it, the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) may provide you with income replacement benefits for the duration of your leave.
Your leave benefits will range from 55% to 75% of your income.
The QPIP website provides a tool to help determine the amount you can expect to receive during your leave.
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See our article on parental leave to find out more about your rights upon the arrival of your child. |