Maternity Leave

Notifying your Residency Program

  • When to apply: By the fifth month of pregnancy, send a written request to your program director stating:
    • That you’re requesting maternity leave
    • The start and end dates of your planned leave
  • When leave can start:
    • Earliest: 16 weeks before your due date
    • Latest: the date of delivery
  • Your program will notify the PGME Office (Dalhousie), which in turn notifies NS Health (NSH) and Maritime Resident Doctors (MarDocs)
  • You are no longer required to do call after 28 weeks gestation.  Call includes any work outside of regular Monday to Friday work hours.  Any other changes require a note from your doctor.  Your program needs to notify any services you will be on while not working call, so they can plan accordingly.

 

Before Leave Starts

  • If your doctor takes you off for medical reasons before your maternity leave begins, you must provide a doctor’s note.
  • When the baby is born, you must immediately contact the NSH Medical Education Office with the delivery date.

 

EI and Top-Up Payments

Once your leave officially starts:

  • Payroll sends your Record of Employment (ROE) electronically to Service Canada.
  • Apply for Employment Insurance (EI) as soon as your leave begins — do not wait for the ROE.
  • EI will not pay retroactively, so applying promptly is essential.

 

Maternity Leave Top-Up (from employer)

  • Residents are eligible to receive 17 weeks of maternity leave, plus 35 weeks of parental leave (total 52 weeks)
  • For the first 17 weeks:
    • Week 1: 75% of your salary (EI waiting period)
    • Next 16 weeks: 93% of your salary minus your EI benefit (top-up)
  • The 35 weeks of parental leave are unpaid by NSH (you only receive EI)

 

To activate your top-up:

  1. Wait until your EI claim is active (waiting period served).
  2. Print your EI claim summary (“My Current Claim”) showing the waiting period served.
  3. Send it to meded@nshealth.ca (or fax 902-473-4451).
  4. Your top-up payments will then begin with the next pay cycle.

 

Vacation Impact

  • You do not accrue vacation while on maternity or parental leave.
  • Your vacation for that academic year will be prorated based on how long you actually worked

 

Group Benefits During Leave

  • Your group benefits (via MarDocs / Canada Life) continue during leave with the same cost-sharing.
  • If you receive top-up, premiums continue to be deducted automatically.
  • Once top-up ends, you must complete a DEFT form to allow continued deductions directly from your bank account.
    • If you don’t, your benefits remain active, but you’ll be charged in one lump sum upon return.

 

After Baby Arrives

  • You must update your coverage:
    • If you need to switch to family coverage, fill out a Canada Life Change Form and send to Leanne@mardocs.ca.
    • If you already have family coverage, just add your baby at my.canadalife.com under Profile → Beneficiaries & Dependents.

 

Helpful Contacts

 

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