Quebec’s government is introducing a bill that would increase leave entitlements for adoptive parents from the current 37 weeks to 42.
The bill would also increase entitlements for parents adopting children from outside Quebec from 42 to 52 weeks of leave.
In addition, the bill proposes amending current legislation to increase the work income-related exemptions parents are entitled to during a week of benefits. It would also increase the number of weeks of benefits available for the birth or adoption of more than one child by up to five additional weeks. As well, in the event of a child’s death, parents would get an additional period before benefits ended.
Read: Saskatchewan adding extra weeks of parental leave
If enacted, the new legislation would mean Quebec employers and plan administrators should review their current parental leave policies to ensure compliance, according to a release from Eckler Ltd.
It noted further changes to the amendments may still occur, as the provincial government faced criticism because the bill didn’t boost the maximum leave for adoptive parents to the 55 weeks available to biological parents.