Booklet: Becoming a Parent in Alberta: What you need to know about human rights, maternity and parental leave, and benefits

 

Becoming a parent in Alberta* answers frequently asked questions about:

  • human rights protection for pregnant workers 
  • entitlements, rights and responsibilities of working parents-to-be
  • leave that expectant mothers may take for health reasons during pregnancy and childbirth
  • the difference between maternity and parental leave and benefits
  • how to apply for maternity and parental leave and benefits

This booklet is a joint initiative of Alberta Labour and the Alberta Human Rights Commission. 

PDF of Becoming a parent in Alberta

Note: The booklet addresses the rights and responsibilities of workers in provincially regulated businesses. Most businesses in Alberta are provincially regulated and fall under Alberta's Employment Standards Code and the Alberta Human Rights Act. Businesses and organizations that are federally regulated such as banks and Canada Post fall under the Canada Labour Code and the Canadian Human Rights Act. This publication does not discuss employment standards or human rights protection for federally regulated businesses and organizations.

* Alberta's human rights legislation was amended on October 1, 2009. Becoming a parent in Alberta has not yet been revised to reflect the amendments. The amendments to the legislation affect the information in Becoming a parent in Alberta in these ways:

  • The legislation is now called the Alberta Human Rights Act (previously Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Act).
  • The Commission is now called the Alberta Human Rights Commission (previously Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission).

You can read the most recent information about employment standards related to maternity and parental leave on the Alberta Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour website at http://work.alberta.ca/employment-standards/maternity-and-parental-leave.html.

You can read the most recent information about Employment Insurance benefits on the Service Canada website at http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sc/ei/benefits/maternityparental.shtml (English) or http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/fra/sc/ae/prestations/materniteparentales.shtml (French).

Revised: June 25, 2015

 

 


The Alberta Human Rights Commission is an independent commission of the Government of Alberta.

Due to confidentiality concerns, the Commission cannot reply to complaints of discrimination by email. Please contact the Commission by phone or regular mail if you have a specific complaint.

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The Commission will make publications available in accessible formats upon request for people with disabilities who do not read conventional print.