Adoption Leave

A resident who has been employed with the Employer for at least one (1) year, and who becomes a parent for one or more children through the placement of the child or children in the care of the employee for the purpose of adoption of the child or children pursuant to the law of the Province is entitled to an unpaid leave of absence of up to thirty-five (35) weeks or more if required by the adoption agency.
The resident who requests Adoption Leave is to submit a certificate from an official in the Department of Community Services, or equivalent, to establish the entitlement of the resident to the Adoption Leave.
Adoption leave begins on such a date as determined by the Resident coinciding with the child or children first arriving the home of the Resident and ends not later than thirty-five (35) weeks after the adoption leaves begins or fifty-two (52) weeks after the child or children first arrive in the home of the Resident, whichever is earlier.
The resident shall give the program director two (2) weeks notice of the date the resident will begin Adoption leave including effective dates.
The program, through DalMedix, will submit the information to the Post-Graduate Medical Education office at Dalhousie University. The Post-Graduate Medical Education office will advise the employer the resident is taking an adoption leave including effective dates of the leave.

Once your adoption leave begins, payroll will electronically forward your Record of Employment (ROE) to Employment Insurance (EI) on your behalf. A copy of your ROE will be sent to your home address. Benefits are payable for adoptive parents from the date the child is placed with you. The information regarding EI can be found on the following website: click here. Please note: It is very important to apply for Employment Insurance right away as they do not go back retroactively.

Adoption Leave Allowance

During the first 12 weeks of your Parental leave, you may be paid Supplementary Employment Benefits (S.E.B) in accordance with leave allowance provisions of the collective agreement.

An employee on Parental Leave that serves the waiting period before your EI Parental Leave Benefits commence is entitled to the 75% of salary for 5 days and 55 days of the top-up to 93% of your salary (less your EI benefit).
A Parental Leave that doesn’t serve a waiting period is entitled to 50 days of the top-up to 93% of your salary (less your EI benefit).

In order for your top-up to be deposited into your account from the employer, it is mandatory that proof be provided that you are in receipt of EI benefits. You are required to submit your EI stub every time you receive payment from EI. In order to obtain your stub, go to the Service Canada website, using your access code sent by Service Canada, go to “My Payments” which lists the payments received by EI. (If your spouse has served the waiting period, you do not need to serve the two (2) week waiting period). You can print the EI stub and fax it to 902-473-4451 or print off, sign, and forward to meded@nshealth.ca. Your first top-up will be deposited into your account on the next pay after receipt of this confirmation and will continue to be paid for the ten (10) weeks that you are off on parental leave.

Please note: During the time you are off on leave, you are not earning vacation, therefore the academic year in which you take a paternity leave, your vacation will be prorated based on the number of months you worked within the year.

For more information about from the Collective Agreement regarding Maternity Leave, Pregnancy Leave Allowance and Parental Leave, please refer to the following link - Leaves of Absence.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your pay, please contact meded@nshealth.ca or 902-473-1033.

Your Group Benefits while on Leave

While on pregnancy leave, parental leave or adoption leave, your group benefits plan will continue with the same cost-share arrangement. If you are receiving a top-up allowance, this deduction will continue to be deducted from your bi-weekly top-up allowance. Once exhausted, your group benefits will continue and you will be deducted for the cost of your benefits in one lump sum, upon your return to residency.

Please note, our Mardocs group benefits plan is mandatory for all members of your family, if other coverage is not available. If you need to switch coverage to a family plan, upon the birth of your baby, please complete the CANADA LIFE CHANGE FORM and return it to Leanne@mardocs.ca to update your plan.

If you already have family coverage in place, you can update your new baby’s birth details directly at https://my.canadalife.com/sign-in under your profile > beneficiaries + dependents.