Ontario’s Employment Standards Act has three job-protected leaves employees can use to take time off work to care for a loved one. The type of leave that is available to you will depend on your family member’s medical condition. The leaves are unpaid, but for two of the three leaves, you may be eligible for Employment Insurance benefits.
Types of caregiving leaves
- Family Caregiver Leave
- Family Medical Leave and EI Compassionate Care Benefits
- Critical Illness Leave and EI Family Caregiver Benefit for Children / EI Family Caregiver Benefit for Adults
Groups
Faculty and Librarians
In addition to the three caregiving leaves provided by the Employment Standards Act, U of T Faculty and Librarians may be eligible for Short-Term Compassionate, Bereavement, and Emergency Leaves. Learn more about these leave entitlements in the Manual of Staff Policies for Academics and Librarians.
Staff
In addition to the three caregiving leaves provided by the Employment Standards Act, U of T staff may be entitled to Compassionate Care Leaves. Learn more about these leave entitlements in the HR Service Centre.
CUPE 3902 Unit 1, 3, 5, and 7
In addition to the three caregiving leaves provided by the Employment Standards Act, your collective agreement may have policies for compassionate leaves.
Students
We encourage you to book an appointment with our Family Care Advisor to discuss your options for taking a leave from your studies for caregiving.
If you are working at the University in a role such as a teaching assistant, your collective agreement may have policies for compassionate leave.
Finding Assistance
If you seek additional information or wish to request a caregiving leave information package, email us. After you have read through the information, please book an appointment with our Family Caregiver Leave Specialist.