Findings from the 2024 Canada Leave Programs survey

Attracting and retaining talent is tough when many employees want more than just a paycheck. Equally as important as pay and medical benefits are the leave programs you offer as part of your total rewards package. A competitive leave program helps your employees maintain a healthy work-life balance, giving them the time they need to recharge and avoid burnout. Additionally, by providing various types of leave, you are demonstrating your commitment to supporting the lives of your employees.

Check out some of the findings from Mercer’s 2024 Canada Leave Programs to see how Canadian employers are providing time away from work, paid or unpaid, for their employees. Discover what other companies offer employees to improve retention and productivity while attracting new talent.

An inside look at primary caregiver and maternity leave

Maternity leave is essential for primary caregivers after the birth of a child, allowing your employees the time for recovery and bonding with their newborn. In most of Canada, except for Quebec, employers are required to provide 16 to 19 weeks of leave at 55% of the employee’s salary for 15 weeks.

However, many employers go beyond these legal requirements. In fact, 42% of employers offer additional leave to better support their employees and provide added value in their rewards and benefits packages.

A quarter of employers provide fully paid leave for the entirety of an employee's maternity time, averaging 24 weeks — well above the legal minimum. The remaining 75% of employers offer a combination of fully paid, partially paid, and unpaid weeks, typically ranging from 29 to 35 weeks of leave. On average, employers offering partial and unpaid maternity leave allow the primary caregiver to take 72 weeks off.

These statistics show employers can offer primary caregivers more time by combining fully paid time off and optional extended time off with partial or no pay to give employees more flexibility.

A comparison of secondary caregiver, or paternity, leave

Secondary caregiver, or paternity, leave allows the primary caregiver’s partner to take time off to support the primary caregiver during the recovery and the postpartum periods, as well as bond with their newborn.

In most of Canada, there are no legal requirements for paternity leave other than in Quebec. Despite these low minimum requirements, 39% of employers go beyond them, offering more generous paternity leave options.

Only 35% of employers offer a combination of partially paid, unpaid, and fully paid days. The remaining 65% offer secondary caregivers fully paid days off. Employers offering fully paid days average 47 days of leave, while those providing a combination of fully paid, partially paid, and unpaid leave offer up to 282 days, on average. This amount of leave is just over half of the allocation that primary caregivers receive.

Explore other family leave options

Two other popular family leave options are adoption leave and dependent care leave.

In Canada, employers are required to offer joint parental leave ranging from 35 to 65 weeks. This leave is paid at 55% of salary for 35 weeks or 33% for 61 weeks. Quebec has a more generous joint parental leave plan.

Most employers offer the same adoption leave to both primary and secondary caregivers.

Another popular type of family leave is dependent care, which allows employees to take time off to care for a family member who has health issues or who requires other support. On average, 63% of companies offer dependent care leave. Fully paid dependent care leave is typically short, lasting only a week or two. However, employers that offer extended leave provide combinations of partial and unpaid days, giving employees more flexibility.

Common family members covered by dependent care leave include:

• Children
• A spouse or partner
• Parents
• Siblings
• Grandparents
• In-laws

Annual vacation leave in Canada

Canadian laws mandate that employers offer 10 to 20 days of vacation leave, depending on the provinces in which they operate. Many businesses tie vacation time to an employee’s length of service, encouraging loyalty.

The average vacation days for those with just a year of service is 16 days, while employees with 20 years or more of service average 25 vacation days. In addition, 74% of employers offer vacation leave immediately upon hire, while others provide it after a probationary period or after between one month and a year of employment.

Other annual leave options

Vacation days are essential for avoiding burnout, but many employers also offer other types of annual leave so employees can reserve vacation days for actual holidays.

Personal days are one of the most common types of annual leave outside of vacation leave, with 63% of companies offering them. Personal days allow employees to attend doctor appointments or handle personal matters like moving, classes, or training. The average number of personal days employees receive is five paid and 23 unpaid.

Volunteer leave is another option, encouraging employees to give back to the community. Only 41% of employers offer volunteer leave, with the average time being two paid days.

Optional leave for consideration

Two other common leave types in Canada are bereavement leave and sabbaticals.

Bereavement leave allows employees to take time off when a close loved one passes away, offering support during a difficult time. The amount of leave depends on the relationship to the deceased and the province’s legal requirements. An employee receives an average of six paid or seven unpaid days for grieving a spouse, child, or parent and four paid or five unpaid days for other family members.

Sabbaticals are a less common type of leave offered by only 27% of employers. Sabbaticals allow employees to study and invest in their professional or personal lives. It pairs well with specific career fields but is not required in all workplaces. For employers that do offer sabbaticals, the average time is seven paid weeks or 33 unpaid weeks.

How does your leave offering compare?

Get your total rewards package ready to entice fresh talent and retain your current talent. Offering a variety of leave options ensures your workplace stands out as one of the most supportive.

By focusing on employee well-being, you can help reduce burnout and stress, leading to happier, more productive employees who know their employer genuinely cares.

To learn more about optimizing your leave programs, connect with us via email or call 855-286-5302.