Albertans now able to take unpaid leave to care for a seriously ill relative Eligible Alberta workers are now able to take up to eight weeks of unpaid leave from their jobs to care for a seriously ill family member. Known as compassionate care leave, this new provision of Alberta’s Employment Standards Code guarantees that Albertans’ jobs will be protected if they take time off work to act as a caregiver. I’m pleased to see this new job protection for working people in Alberta, since it gives them a huge sense of security and support at a time when they most need it. Their focus must be on the well-being of their family member, not on whether their job is safe. The Alberta government believes that no one’s job should be put in jeopardy when they are called to be a caregiver, and compassionate care leave gives people reassurance in that difficult time. Similar to the protection provided to mothers with maternity leave and to Canadian Forces members with reservist leave, compassionate care leave recognizes that the temporary role of caregiver is highly valued by society and should be supported by all of us. To be eligible for unpaid compassionate care leave, employees must have worked at least 52 weeks for their employer. They must also provide their employer with a certificate regarding the grave illness of the family member and their need for care. This certificate must be signed by the doctor attending to the family member. The family member does not need to live in Alberta. More information is on the Alberta Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour website at work.alberta.ca in the Employment Standards section. If you have questions, please call the Employment Standards Contact Centre at 1-877-427-3731. The federal government also recognizes the importance of compassionate care, and makes up to six weeks of Employment Insurance available to eligible workers. Information is available by visiting servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sc/ei/benefits/compassionate.shtml or by calling 1-800-206-7218.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 16:05:03 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015