I Lost a Child: Am I Entitled to Bereavement Leave?

When your son or daughter passes away, whether it’s due to a lengthy health battle or unexpectedly as the result of an accident, are you entitled to time away from work?

A recent story in The Toronto Sun describes Vince Leitao’s ongoing crusade to amend the Employment Standards Act to allow parents one year of leave from work following the loss of a child. Jonathan’s Law is inspired by the death of Vince’s 16-year-old son, Jonathan, and the grieving period that Vince endured afterwards.

Ontario’s Employment Standards Act does not provide rights specifically related to grieving the loss of a family member.

There are, however, some provisions that can be applied to a scenario where a child is critically ill or has recently passed away.

What are those provisions? Will you be compensated during your time away from work?

Samfiru Tumarkin Human Resources Specialist Charles Tahirali joined The Stafford Show on Talk Radio AM640, where he explained what rights an employee has when taking time off following the death of a loved one. He also shared his opinion on whether or not Ontarians will ever see “bereavement leave” added to the Employment Standards Act.