Pre-placement adoption leave and allowance for BC Public Service employees

Check your BC Public Service employment terms and conditions and agreements to confirm what pre-placement adoption and parental benefits are offered:

• BC Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU)
• BC's Professional Employees Association (PEA
• BC Nurses' Union (BCNU)
• Queen's Printer/Unifor
• Crown Counsel Association
• Excluded Employees and Appointees

This information is for eligible BC Public Service employees.

• Before you apply, review the important information about your Benefits, pension, vacation accrual and payroll deductions
• Follow the timeline closely

Before your leave begins

• If you do not want to continue your benefits coverage, you must cancel it for the duration of your leave. There is no option to cancel Employee Basic Life Insurance and Long-term Disability (LTD) coverage. Ensure you review Benefits, pension, vacation accrual and payroll deductions
• To be entitled to pre-adoption leave allowance, you are agreeing that you will return to work and remain in the employer's employ for at least 6 months or the length of the leave you take, whichever is longer. If you do not, you will have to pay back all the allowance and any benefits (extended health, dental, basic life insurance and long-term disability) maintained during your leave prior to April 1, 2022
• If you're unsure if you'll return after your leave, you may want to defer, or not take, the pre-adoption allowance. Refer to Pre-placement adoption leave allowance: information for BC Public Service employees
• If you decide to defer or not take the pre-adoption allowance, you are still entitled to take the pre-adoption leave without pay

You

Submit the following documents to your supervisor to receive both the time off from work and the allowance during your leave:

• Letter to Supervisor Advising of Maternity, Parental or Pre-placement Adoption Leave (DOCX, 41KB) stating the dates of your pre-placement adoption leave (the start date will always be the day after your last day of pay)
• Maternity, Parental, Pre-placement Adoption Leave and/or Allowance application (PDF, 167KB)
• Leave Management Transaction (PDF, 121KB)

Your supervisor

Your supervisor will submit the documents through an AskMyHR service request using the categories: My Team or Organization > Leave & Time Off > Maternity, Parental, Adoption.

If you or your supervisor have any questions, contact AskMyHR by submitting a service request using the categories: Myself (or) My Team or Organization > Leave & Time Off > Maternity, Parental, Adoption.

Record leave days

To activate the pre-placement adoption leave allowance:

Record your days off work in Time and Pay > Employee Self Service (ESS) > Time/Leave Employee Work Centre using the 'Pre Adoption Lv' code.

• Time and Pay from work
• Time and Pay from home

After the adoption

Update your extended health and dental benefits and your life insurance.

You have 60 days from the date of adoption to make changes to your Optional Life Insurance selections or to your flexible benefits options, if applicable.

• Benefits for Bargaining Unit employees
• Benefits for excluded employees

Before the end of your leave

Inform your supervisor in writing of your intention to return to work as soon as possible. Use the template:

• Letter to Supervisor Advising of Return to Work After Maternity, Parental or Pre-placement Adoption Leave (DOCX, 41KB). Learn more about Entitlements upon return to work.

Also inform your supervisor if:

• You're requesting parental leave after your pre-placement adoption leave has ended
• You're resigning and not returning to work. Learn more about Choosing not to return to work

If you're taking parental leave and have already included this leave with your pre-placement adoption leave application, please refer to the parental leave timeline to find out what you need to do one month before the end of your parental leave.

You're eligible for the allowance if:

• You're a regular (full- or part-time) employee
• You're an auxiliary employee who's eligible for pre-placement adoption benefits as per your Collective Agreement or Terms and Conditions of Employment

Amount

An employee is entitled to pre-adoption leave without pay of up to 7 weeks (245 work hours) per calendar year with an allowance of 85% of basic pay during the leave period.

Not claiming, or choosing to defer, the allowance

If you're not sure you want to claim the pre-adoption allowance for whatever reason, including that you're unsure if you’ll return to work after your leave, you may choose to defer the allowance.

You can defer the allowance up to the end of the return-to-work repayment period. The return-to-work repayment period is 6 months or the length of your leaves taken, whichever is longer. Let your supervisor know if you choose to defer.

Refer to the Benefits while on leave or layoff page to learn about your benefits.

You'll be required to repay benefit premiums paid for the period of leave taken prior to April 1, 2022 and any allowances you've received if:

• You take the allowance and/or benefits, then resign at the end of your pre-placement adoption leave
• You do not fulfill the return-to-work requirements of your Collective Agreement or your Terms and Conditions of Employment

Refer to Choosing not to return to work for more information.

Refer to Benefits, pension, vacation accrual and payroll deduction for further details on benefits repayment.

Have questions? Contact AskMyHR by submitting a service request using the categories: Myself (or) my Team or Organization > Pay > Allowances & Reimbursements

Parental leave is available following the adoption. For more information, please review the information under Parental leave and allowance found on Careers & MyHR.

Regular Bargaining Unit employees returning to work:

• Retain seniority
• Receive credit for seniority accumulated during the leave period

Auxiliary Bargaining Unit employees retain seniority and may be credited for the hours they would have worked during the leave period.

At least one month before the end of your leave, inform your supervisor in writing, if you are resigning and not returning to work.

The date following the conclusion of your leave will be deemed your date of resignation unless another date of resignation is provided.

If you do not immediately return to work at the end of your leave or meet the time period requirements, you'll be responsible for repaying: 

• Benefit premiums (both employee and employer portions) for the period of leave taken prior to April 1, 2022 including:
  • Employee Basic Life Insurance
  • Long-term disability (LTD)
• Applicable flexible benefits credits received for waived extended health and dental coverage for the duration of the leave and any flexible benefits credits received for life insurance coverage for the period of the leave prior to April 1, 2022
• Any allowances you received, or on a pro-rated basis if you returned for a period of time

Confirm your return-to-work time period requirements:

• BC Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU)
• BC's Professional Employees Association (PEA
• BC Nurses' Union (BCNU)
• Queen's Printer/Unifor
• Crown Counsel Association
• Excluded Employees and Appointees

Employee Basic Life insurance and long-term disability (LTD) coverage are mandatory when you take maternity and/or parental leave. You cannot opt out of coverage. These benefits are maintained throughout the leave, even if you choose to waive extended health and dental coverage.

If you're re-employed at a later date, you'll still be responsible for repaying benefit premiums (prior to April 1, 2022) and allowances as above.

Refer to the next section: Benefits, pension, vacation accrual and payroll deduction for further details on benefits repayment.

• Benefits in place before your leave will remain in place during the leave—but you can cancel extended health and dental coverage and any optional life insurance plans
• Effective April 1, 2022, if you resign or do not fulfill the full return to work requirements, any benefits that were maintained by the employer and/or flex credits paid on your behalf during your leave prior to April 1, 2022, will need to be repaid
• You must maintain Employee Basic Life Insurance and long-term disability coverage when you take maternity and/or parental leave. There is no option to waive this coverage

Once you notify your employer that you're resigning, payroll will calculate your allowance and/or benefits overpayment and notify you in writing of the amount.

Cancelling benefits while on leave

Bargaining Unit benefits 

To cancel extended health, dental or any of the optional life insurance plans you do not wish to maintain, review How to update your coverage on the Benefits for Bargaining Unit employees page.

You must maintain Employee Basic Life Insurance and long-term disability coverage when you take maternity and/or parental leave. There is no option to waive this coverage.

Flexible benefits for excluded employees

To cancel extended health, dental or any of the optional life insurance plans you do not wish to maintain, refer to How to update your coverage on the Benefits for excluded employees page.

You must maintain Employee Basic Life Insurance and long-term disability coverage. There's no option to waive this coverage.

• If you cancel coverage under the Flexible Benefits Program, you'll receive additional flex credits each month for the length of your leave, or until you reinstate coverage during Open Enrolment or as a result of an eligible life event

  • If you return from your leave in a new plan year, you will have the opportunity to make elections at that time and reinstate your benefits

  • If you return from your leave in the same plan year, you will have to wait until the next Open Enrolment or an eligible life event to reinstate your benefits

  • You will need to provide Evidence of Insurability for Flexible Benefits (PDF, 520KB) if you apply for optional life insurance for yourself and/or your spouse

• These credits count as cash earnings and are recorded on your pay. You're responsible for reporting to Service Canada any monies paid or payable to you, cash or other, while receiving employment insurance, maternity or parental benefits
• If you do not meet the return-to-work requirements, you'll be required to repay the flex credits received in lieu of extended health and dental during the leave and flex credits received for life insurance coverage for the period of leave prior to April 1, 2022

Continuing Optional Life Insurance coverage while on leave

Under the Employment Standards Act (Part 6), you can pay the premiums and maintain the Optional Life Insurance coverage if you:

• Are not eligible for top-up allowance
• Are taking the leave but not receiving any top-up allowance
• Waive your top-up allowance
• Defer your top-up allowance

The Optional life insurance plans include:

• Optional Family Funeral Benefit
• Employee Optional Life Insurance
• Spouse Optional Life Insurance
• Child Optional Life Insurance
• Employee Optional Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance
• Spouse Optional Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance
• Child Optional Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance

Within 30 days of starting your leave, complete the Option to Continue Employee Benefits While on Employment Standards Act Leave of Absence Without Pay form (PDF, 305KB).

If you do not maintain your Optional Life Insurance benefits, they will be considered waived. When you return, if you return within 3 months (90 days) from the start of your leave, any optional life insurance plans will be automatically reinstated. If you return after 3 months (90 days) from the start of your leave, any optional life insurance plans that does not require evidence of insurability can be reinstated. You'll need to reapply for optional employee and/or spouse optional life insurance and provide evidence of insurability. The insurance will not be effective until the carrier approves the application.

Refer to Benefits while on leave without pay.

Submit forms through an AskMyHR service request using the categories: Myself (or) My Team or Organization > Benefits > Submit a Health Benefit Form/Application.

Vacation accrual

In most cases, your entitlement will be pro-rated according to your maternity and/or parental leave start date.

Your vacation entitlements and vacation pay continues to accrue. It will be credited once you've returned to work for a period not less than 6 calendar months if all 3 of these conditions apply:

1. You return to work for a period not less than 6 months after being on leave
2. You have not received parental allowance
3. You were employed prior to March 28, 2001

OR:

• You're covered under the Crown Counsel Agreement and return to work for a period not less than 6 months after being on leave

Pension

Pension contributions are based solely on the maternity, parental or pre-placement adoption allowance you receive while you're on leave. You can purchase the remaining service for your leave within 5 years of the end of your leave period or before termination of employment, whichever occurs first.

If you are not returning to work after the leave, and you want to purchase the service, the application must be made while on leave (and therefore an active member) in order to be eligible to purchase. 

If you do not apply to purchase a leave before terminating employment, you have lost the opportunity to purchase the service, even if you become an active plan member again.

Please note that if you have not gone on maternity leave yet and your baby is born early, you must notify us. Your maternity leave must start on the day that your baby is born. If you do not notify us, and your leave starts after your baby is born, this may impact your purchase of service.

Effective May 1, 2020, employees have the option to make continuous pension contributions monthly throughout their leave.

For more information, refer to the: 

• Purchase of service page
• Public Service Pension Plan website 

Payroll deductions

• You may wish to cancel some deductions from your pay while you're on leave.
• If you've applied for the Deferred Salary Leave program, you can suspend your contributions while on a temporary leave, such as maternity leave.

To suspend contributions, submit an AskMyHR service request using the categories: Myself > Leave & Time Off > Deferred Salary Leave.

Deductions must commence once you return from your leave. Notify MyHR when you return from your leave to reinstate your deductions by submitting an AskMyHR service request using the categories: Myself > Leave & Time Off > Deferred Salary Leave.

If you have any questions, contact AskMyHR by submitting a service request using the categories: Myself > Leave & Time Off > Maternity, Parental, Adoption.