In a previous article, I covered emergency leave—a short-term option for urgent personal matters. But what if your child comes down with a severe flu and can't attend school for several days? You've explored every childcare alternative, but none work out. In that case, you're entitled to short-term care leave, allowing you to stay home and care for them. Simply request it from your employer.
As an employment rights specialist with years of experience advising families, I can confirm short-term care leave is designed for providing essential care over a few days to your child, foster child, partner, or parent. You can take it multiple times a year, up to twice your weekly working hours. For instance, if you work 28 hours per week, that's a maximum of 56 hours annually.
Your employer cannot deny this leave unless it would cause serious operational disruption. They must pay at least 70% of your salary—no less than the minimum wage. Check your collective labor agreement (CAO) or employee handbook for specific company policies. You'll continue accruing vacation days during the leave, and once it begins, your employer can't revoke it. They may request a doctor's note or appointment confirmation, which you'll need to provide.
Have you ever used short-term care leave? Many employees aren't informed of this right by their employers and end up using precious vacation days instead—unnecessarily.
Curious about your entitlements during long-term leave? Read all about it in this article!
