3.8 How much leave can I take after I give birth or adopt a child?

A female employee can take up to eighteen (18) consecutive weeks unpaid maternity leave. The leave can be taken before or after the birth or adoption of her child.

The employee must give her employer written notice at least three (3) weeks before she takes maternity leave. She must also tell the employer the date she expects to return to work.

The father can take up to five (5) consecutive weeks unpaid paternity leave. Paternity leave can be taken any time during the fifty-two (52) weeks after the birth or adoption, but cannot begin before the child is born or adopted.

Either parent can take up to fifty-two (52) weeks unpaid parental leave after the birth or adoption of their child. The parents can share the parental leave. They can take the leave one after the other, or both at the same time. Parental leave is in addition to the maternity or paternity leave.