Canada: Saskatchewan Enacts New Leave Protections 

Amendments to the Saskatchewan Employment Act include extensions to maternity and parental leave as well as the expansion of support provided in situations of interpersonal violence, the government recently announced.

Highlights

•  Maternity leave. The leave period is increased to 19 weeks — the longest in Canada — up from 18 weeks and can start up to 13 weeks before the due date. 
• Parental leave. For mothers who take maternity leave, parental leave is increased to 59 weeks, up from 34. For nonbirth parents, parental leave is extended to 63 weeks, up from 37. 
• Adoption leave. The leave period is extended to 19 weeks, up from 18. 
• Leave for care of a critically ill adult. A new leave provides up to 17 weeks to care for a critically ill adult family member (18 years or older). 
• Interpersonal violence leave. The reasons for leave are expanded to include sexual violence. Employees can now take up to 10 days of leave in a period of 52 weeks, taken as individual days or in a single continuous period, five days of which must be paid.

Related Resources

•  Press Release on Bills 153 and 172 (Government of Saskatchewan, 16 May 2019)
•  Press Release on Bill 172, The Saskatchewan Employment (Paid Interpersonal Violence and Sexual Violence Leave) Amendment Act, 2019 (Government of Saskatchewan, 13 May 2019)
  
• Bill 153, The Saskatchewan Employment (Leaves) Amendment Act, 2018 (Government of Saskatchewan, 26 Nov 2018)