Section 206.3 — Canada Labour Code: Definitions

For the purposes of this section, care , family member and support have, subject to the regulations, the same meanings as in the regulations made under the Employment Insurance Act and week means the period between midnight on Saturday and midnight on the immediately following Saturday. Subject to subsections (3) to (8), every employee is entitled to and shall be granted a leave of absence from employment of up to 28 weeks to provide care or support to a family member of the employee if a health care practitioner issues a certificate stating that the family member has a serious medical condition with a significant risk of death within 26 weeks from the day the certificate is issued; or if the leave was commenced before the certificate was issued, the day the leave was commenced. [Repealed, 2018, c. 27, s. 468] The leave of absence may only be taken during the period that starts with the first day of the week in which the certificate is issued, or if the leave was commenced before the certificate was issued, the first day of the week in which the leave was commenced if the certificate is valid from any day in that week; and that ends with the last day of the week in which either of the following occurs, namely, the family member dies, or the period of 52 weeks following the first day of the week referred to in paragraph (a) ends. For greater certainty, but subject to subsection (3), for leave under this section to be taken after the end of the period of 26 weeks set out in subsection (2), it is not necessary for a health care practitioner to issue an additional certificate under that subsection (2). If a shorter period is prescribed by regulation for the purposes of subsection 23.1(5) or 152.06(4) of the Employment Insurance Act , the certificate referred to in subsection (2) must state that the family member has a serious medical condition with a significant risk of death within that period; and that shorter period applies for the purposes of subparagraph (3)(b)(ii). When a shorter period referred to in subsection (4) has expired in respect of a family member, no further leave may be taken under this section in respect of that family member until the minimum number of weeks prescribed for the purposes of subsection 12(4.3) or 152.14(7) of the Employment Insurance Act has elapsed. [Repealed, 2014, c. 20, s. 242] The aggregate amount of leave that may be taken by two or more employees under this section in respect of the care or support of the same family member shall not exceed 28 weeks in the period referred to in subsection (3). No leave may be taken by one or more employees under subsection 206.4(2) or (2.1) before the end of the leave taken under subsection (2) in respect of the same person. If requested in writing by the employer within 15 days after an employee’s return to work, the employee must provide the employer with a copy of the certificate referred to in subsection (2). The references in this section to provisions that are in Part VII.1 of the Employment Insurance Act apply only in relation to employees who are self-employed persons referred to in paragraph (b) of the definition self-employed person in subsection 152.01(1) of that Act.