Canada has introduced a new pregnancy loss leave and an expanded bereavement leave for each parent on the death of a child for federally regulated employees from 12 December 2025. Both leaves are up to eight weeks (employer-paid for the first three days and unpaid otherwise).
Additionally, while the effective date has yet to be announced, a new government-paid 16-week leave entitlement for the placement of a child (adoption or surrogacy) is expected to be implemented in 2026.
Most employers in Canada are provincially regulated, and these federal legislative changes do not apply to provincially regulated workplaces.
Background
The Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2023 received royal assent on 20 June 2024 and amended the Canada Labour Code (the “Code”) to include new and expanded leave entitlements. The pregnancy loss leave and expanded bereavement leave provisions took effect on 12 December 2025. While the effective date of the placement of child leave provisions has yet to be announced, these provisions are expected to take effect sometime in 2026.
The changes apply only to specific industries under the federal government’s oversight (i.e., federally regulated workplaces) who are subject to Part III of the Code. Examples of such federally regulated industries are interprovincial or international transportation by land and sea, airports and airlines, telecommunications and broadcasting, banks, and First Nations band councils.
Key details
The following sets out...
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