Maternity / Parental Leave (Quebec): How does maternity parental leave and pay work in Quebec, Canada?

Quebec provides paid maternity and parental leave benefits through the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP). These benefits are separate from federal EI maternity/parental benefits and have specific rules for residents of Quebec. Visit Quebec Parental Insurance Plan for more information.

You may be eligible if you meet the following criteria:

• You are the parent of a newborn or newly adopted child.
• You have stopped working or experienced at least a 40% reduction in your usual employment income due to pregnancy, childbirth, or caring for your child.
• You have at least $2,000 in insurable income during the qualifying period.
• You have paid QPIP premiums during the qualifying period.
• You are a resident of Quebec when your benefit period begins.

Maternity benefits are available only to the person who is pregnant or has given birth. These weeks cannot be shared with another parent.

Options under QPIP:

• Basic Plan: 18 weeks, 70% of average weekly insurable earnings (max 2026, $1,386.54)
• Special Plan: 15 weeks, 75% of average weekly insurable earnings (max 2026, $1,485.58)Start & End Dates:
• Can start as early as 16 weeks before the expected due date.
• Must end no later than 20 weeks after the birth.

Note: For 2026, the maximum insurable earnings considered for calculation is $103,000.

Parental benefits can be taken by one or both parents to care for a newborn or newly adopted child.

Basic Plan Options

• Standard Shareable: 32 weeks total (7 weeks at 70%, 25 weeks at 55%).
• The "Sharing Bonus weeks": 4 additional weeks at 55% are granted if each parent is paid at least 8 shareable parental weeks.

Special Plan Options

• Standard Shareable: 25 weeks at 75%.
• The "Sharing Bonus weeks": Additional 3 weeks at 75% once 6 shareable weeks have been paid to each parent

Exclusive Leave Extensions

• Multiple Births/Adoptions: Basic Plan (+5 weeks at 70% each) or Special Plan (+3 weeks at 75% each).
• Single-Parent Leave: Basic Plan (+5 extra weeks at 70%) or Special Plan (+3 extra weeks at 75%).

Timeframe for Benefits:

• Parental benefits must be taken within 78 weeks (18 months) after birth or adoption.

• Request your maternity leave using the Remote platform's Time off feature.
• We will ask you to send us the certificate of birth via Live Messaging once the baby is born.
• Kindly notify us once you’ve uploaded the form via Live Messaging.

• Social Insurance Numbers (SIN): Both yours and the other parent’s.
• Banking details for direct deposit.
• Child’s Information: The expected due date (if applying before birth) or the actual date of birth/adoption.
• Employment Details: Your last day worked and your total gross income (before taxes).
• Plan Choice: Decide between the Basic or Special plan before applying.

Important Note on the ROE: Unlike federal EI, you do not need to wait for your Record of Employment (ROE) to submit your QPIP application. QPIP communicates directly with Revenu Québec to verify your income. You only need to provide an ROE if specifically requested by a QPIP agent.

When you start maternity or parental leave, your weekly earnings are interrupted, and your employer must issue a Record of Employment (ROE). This document might be required to apply for QPIP benefits, even if you do not plan to use them immediately.

Timing & submission

• Remote runs a semi-monthly payroll (twice per month).
• The ROE are issued within five calendar days after the end of the pay period in which your leave begins. This is five calendar days after 15th or 31st.

Payroll Example (mid-payroll):

• Last working day: April 10 (you are getting paid on April 15 from April 1 to April 10)
• Payroll period: April 1–15
• ROE deadline: April 20 (5 calendar days after the pay period ends).

The ROE is sent directly to QPIP and can be viewed in your My Service Canada Account (MSCA), or the provincial portal Mon Dossier - RQAP, no paper copy is needed.

Important tips

• You can apply for QPIP benefits immediately after stopping work; your application will remain pending until the ROE is processed.
• Employers are legally required to issue the ROE even if you do not intend to use QPIP benefits.

Many employers offer a top-up to supplement QPIP maternity or parental benefits so that you receive a higher portion of your regular salary. Here’s how it works:

• The top-up is usually based on your regular salary minus the QPIP benefit amount. For example, if QPIP pays 70% of your salary, the top-up makes up the difference to reach the percentage promised by your employer (e.g., 75% or 100%).
• To calculate the top-up, your QPIP benefit details must be shared with payroll once Service Canada/RQAP confirms your payment (last two QPIP payments). This ensures your employer can pay the correct amount.
• The top-up is paid after QPIP confirms your benefit:
• • QPIP payments will be retroactive to your last day worked.
  • The employer top-up will also be paid retroactively in the next payroll cycle once QPIP confirms the benefit amount.

Payroll Example:

• Last working day: Jan 2 (you are getting paid on January 15 from January 1 to January 2)
• ROE issued: Jan 20
• QPIP and top-up payments will likely appear in February payroll (Feb 15), retroactive to Jan 2.

Tip: Apply for QPIP as soon as you stop working to avoid delays; your top-up will automatically adjust once QPIP confirms your benefit and those are shared with Remote.
 

Disclaimer: Please be advised that the information provided is for general guidance only and should not be considered legal advice. Clients are strongly encouraged to contact the Lifecycle- Time & Attendance team for expert guidance and assistance in navigating the intricate landscape of time off requirements in Canada. Consulting with our team is imperative to ensure compliance with local employment standards legislation and clearly understand the stipulated time off and attendance related requirements. Your proactive engagement with the Time & Attendance team is vital to making informed decisions and adhering to all relevant regulations.