Pregnancy and parental leave
For almost 20 years, the OMA and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care have been helping physicians and their growing families by providing financial support to eligible parents
The Pregnancy and Parental Leave Benefit Program allows physician parents to take time away from their practices to recover from childbirth and/or spend time with their child after birth, adoption or surrogacy.
Background
Prior to 2000, maternity coverage for physicians was sparse and excluded those in private practice. To address this inequity, we prioritized the development of a maternity benefits package for physicians, and as part of the 2000 Physician Services Agreement, we successfully negotiated funding for a new program — the Maternity Leave Benefits Program. The MLBP provided female physicians with up to 17 weeks of paid maternity leave, with a maximum benefit amount of $880 per week.
The early program, however, had limitations. It excluded adoption leave for non-biological parents and did not include a parental leave component for physician fathers. In response to member feedback and a clear interest in an expansion to the eligibility criteria, we negotiated additional funding and substantial reforms to the program under the 2004 PSA. As part of this agreement, effective April 1, 2005, the new PPLBP — with its expanded eligibility criteria and enhanced benefit amount (up to $1,000 per week) — replaced the MLBP.
2021 PSA: Program update
A number of positive changes took effect under the Pregnancy and Parental Leave Benefit Program as of April 1, 2022.
Specifically, those leaves that commenced on or after April 1, 2022 had an increased maximum benefit amount of $1,300, a longer eligible leave period of up to 17 weeks, more time to apply and a higher percentage (75 per cent) used to calculate pre-leave income, to name a few of the changes. Additionally, these benefit parameters applied to all physician parents, such as those giving birth or otherwise becoming a parent (including adoption and surrogates) and including stillbirth.
2024 PSA: Program update
We are pleased to announce exciting new changes under the Pregnancy and Parental Leave Benefit Program as of April 1, 2025. For all details on this program, including the application form, eligibility requirements and frequently asked questions, please refer to the Ministry of Health website.
Specifically, those leaves that commence on or after April 1, 2025, will have an increased maximum benefit amount of $2,000 for all physician parents. For birth parents the length of leave will increase to 22 weeks and for non-birth parents the length of leave will continue at 17 weeks.
Additionally, the amount of gross eligible income a physician can earn while on leave will increase from $1,300 per week to $3,000 per week.
All other administrative details, such as eligibility criteria, reimbursement rate, and requirements for non-consecutive leave, remain the same.
2024 PSA program enhancements
| Current policy | Leaves beginning on or after April 1, 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Length of leave | Max 17 weeks | Birth parent: Max 22 weeks Non-birth parent: Max 17 weeks |
| Benefit amount | Max $1,300 per week | Max $2,000 per week |
| Limit for income earned while on leave (not including Pregnancy and Parental Leave Benefit Program earnings) | Max $1,300 | Max $3,000 |
| Deadline to apply | Within 12 months of child joining parent | Within 12 months of child joining parent |
| Deadline to take leave | Within 12 months of child joining parent | Within 12 months of child joining parent |
| Percentage of billings used to calculate benefit | 75 per cent average gross weekly income | 75 per cent average gross weekly income |
Timelines
A physician must apply and initiate their leave within 12 months of the child joining the parent and the leave must be completed within 12 months of the child joining the parent.
Additionally, the leave does not have to be taken consecutively, but must be taken for no less than two weeks at a time.
It’s very important for all physicians, if possible, to submit their application well before the deadline of 12 months after the birth of their child or discharge from the hospital. Many times, the program area has additional questions and/or the application is not fully complete, pushing the timeline of applying past the 12-month mark.
It’s also best practice for physicians to save a copy of their application for their records.
Family planning for physicians
Information about parental leave as a practising physician.
What our members are saying
“A better and more supportive parental leave is good for the profession as a whole, but it's particularly beneficial for women in medicine. Pregnancy and early parenthood are both physical and financial stresses and physicians who lack support for these challenges face burnout or worse. I found my pregnancies financially challenging and I appreciated the support of this program in 2012, even though the amount at the time was relatively small. Improving parental leave is one step along the road to a more equitable and sustainable profession, so I'm very happy to see this new announcement about increased funding. I hope it helps physicians manage the new parenting stage of life with less worries and more enjoyment.” – Michelle Cohen, vice-chair, OMA Women Committee