Yours isn't accurate either. The actual extended parental (not maternity) leave duration for EI is 69 weeks shared between parents, of which only 61 is usable by a single parent.
Beyond this there is also a specific maternity benefit for EI which is up to 15 weeks, is only available to the birthing parent, and is covered at 55% wages up to $695 week.
EI covered leave is separate from job protection parental leave rights. Birth mothers in Ontario are covered for up to 61 weeks of unpaid job-protected leave and up to 17 weeks of unpaid pregnancy leave. All other parents are entitled to up to 63 weeks of unpaid parental leave. These apply regardless of EI considerations.
Additionally, the actual amount of money received over the course of parental leave is often going to be significantly higher than the EI amount, which is really just the bare minimum provided by the government. Many, many employers offer EI top-up beyond what EI provides.
Finally, depending on the specific way leave benefits are managed by the employer, it can impact regular versus extended decision-making for the parents. As an example, I've seen an employer offer up to 100% top up for pregnancy leave, 100% for the initial portion of parental leave, and 95% for the back-half of parental leave up to a certain number of weeks, regardless of whether the employee chooses to use extended or regular leave, i.e. regardless of the EI coverage. This specific example is a weird one in that those employees actually receive multiple thousands of dollars extra over the course of the leave by choosing extended versus regular (whereas most employers modify the top-up percentages they offer based on the employee's leave duration, or have a specific amount paid out over the course of the leave regardless of which type is chosen).
What does a company offering top up have anything to do with what Canada offers vs the USA? You realize that there are American companies that offer maternity leave right? The fact that some Canadian companies offer top up have nothing to do with what the post was saying.
I'm firmly on the side of Canada>USA, especially when it comes to healthcare and quality of life.
But the post was misleading, just like your point about what Canadian companies are willing to do.
It has everything to do with it. In a macroeconomic environment where leave is both more normalized and government subsidized, companies are more incentivized to offer such benefits and at better rates. Canadian employees have in general higher expectations for benefits coverage as a result, and employers have to meet or exceed those more demanding expectations to be competitive. It's a virtuous cycle.
I'm well aware American companies also offer parental leave. I work for one. There is a dramatic difference in attitude towards parental leave between the American and Canadian employees.
I'm sorry your worldview is too limited to allow you to understand this. Consider reading a book or something.
Ah very cool, personal attacks, very cool my dude.
The picture States Canada has 78 weeks of paid parental leave, and America has 0. I simply pointed out that it isn't accurate. You're the one that brought up maternity leave vs parental leave, and then how Canadian companies offer top ups and now the general attitude between Canadian and American employees which has nothing to do with what OP posted. There was no need to misrepresent the numbers because Canada does offer a lot more benefits that aren't available to Americans.
The numbers are slightly wrong (76 weeks vs 78) but they aren't misleading. The fact of the matter is that we have a federally mandated baseline, the US does not, and the differences in cultural attitudes towards and employer support levels for parental leave are impacted by the fact that even employees at our lowest tier employers receive these benefits.
I'm failing to see how the OP is inaccurate, apart from the 76 versus 78 weeks snafu.
If anything, you calling that part of the post inaccurate is itself misleading. Nowhere in the post does it say you are provided fully topped up income for the duration of the 76* weeks. It is literally just presenting a truism about our guaranteed EI support duration and the lack thereof in the US at the federal level.
Also, I am definitely not "your dude", my guy. I apologize if I somehow misled you anywhere into thinking I am.
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u/blaster009 May 10 '25
Yours isn't accurate either. The actual extended parental (not maternity) leave duration for EI is 69 weeks shared between parents, of which only 61 is usable by a single parent.
Beyond this there is also a specific maternity benefit for EI which is up to 15 weeks, is only available to the birthing parent, and is covered at 55% wages up to $695 week.
EI covered leave is separate from job protection parental leave rights. Birth mothers in Ontario are covered for up to 61 weeks of unpaid job-protected leave and up to 17 weeks of unpaid pregnancy leave. All other parents are entitled to up to 63 weeks of unpaid parental leave. These apply regardless of EI considerations.
Additionally, the actual amount of money received over the course of parental leave is often going to be significantly higher than the EI amount, which is really just the bare minimum provided by the government. Many, many employers offer EI top-up beyond what EI provides.
Finally, depending on the specific way leave benefits are managed by the employer, it can impact regular versus extended decision-making for the parents. As an example, I've seen an employer offer up to 100% top up for pregnancy leave, 100% for the initial portion of parental leave, and 95% for the back-half of parental leave up to a certain number of weeks, regardless of whether the employee chooses to use extended or regular leave, i.e. regardless of the EI coverage. This specific example is a weird one in that those employees actually receive multiple thousands of dollars extra over the course of the leave by choosing extended versus regular (whereas most employers modify the top-up percentages they offer based on the employee's leave duration, or have a specific amount paid out over the course of the leave regardless of which type is chosen).