Compassionate care leave in BC gives eligible employees up to 27 weeks of unpaid, job-protected time off within a 52-week period. The leave allows you to care for or support a family member who is seriously ill and at significant risk of dying within 26 weeks.

💡 Leave and pay are separate: BC employment law protects your time away from work. EI compassionate care benefits can provide up to 26 weeks of income support if you qualify.

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Who Qualifies for Compassionate Care Leave in BC?

Employees covered by BC’s Employment Standards Act can qualify from their first day of work. There is no minimum length of service. Full-time and part-time employees can qualify.

You must need time away to care for or support a qualifying family member and provide the required medical certificate.

Eligible relationships include a spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent and other relatives covered by the rules. Someone considered to be like a close relative can also qualify, even without a blood or legal relationship.

Federally regulated employees: Different employment standards apply. See our national compassionate care leave guide.

How Long Is Compassionate Care Leave in BC?

You can take up to 27 weeks within the applicable 52-week period. You don’t have to take all the weeks consecutively.

Leave is counted in whole weeks, running from Sunday to Saturday. Taking only part of a week still uses one week of your entitlement.

If your family member dies, the leave ends on the last day of that week. Otherwise, it ends when you use your entitlement or the 52-week period expires.

Is Compassionate Care Leave Paid in BC?

Your employer doesn’t have to pay your wages during compassionate care leave. Your contract, workplace policy or collective agreement may provide paid leave or a benefit top-up.

Eligible caregivers can receive EI compassionate care benefits for up to 26 weeks. In 2026, the benefit rate is 55% of average insurable weekly earnings, up to $729 per week.

EI has separate eligibility requirements, including insured working hours, a reduction in earnings and medical evidence. Eligible caregivers can share the 26 weeks of benefits.

You can qualify for job-protected leave even if you don’t qualify for EI. Apply for EI through Service Canada, separately from requesting leave from your employer.

How Do You Request Compassionate Care Leave in BC?

  1. Tell your employer. Explain that you need compassionate care leave and when you expect to be away. A written request is helpful, but BC law doesn’t require one or a fixed advance-notice period.
  2. Get a medical certificate. A doctor or nurse practitioner must confirm that your family member has a serious medical condition and a significant risk of death within 26 weeks.
  3. Provide the certificate as soon as reasonably possible. You can begin the leave before obtaining it, but you must still supply it.

Keep copies of your request, certificate and your employer’s response. The requirements are explained in BC’s compassionate care leave rules.

Can Your Employer Refuse the Leave or Fire You?

Your employer must allow compassionate care leave when you qualify. They can’t refuse simply because the workplace is busy or fire you because you take the leave.

When the leave ends, you must be returned to your previous position or a comparable one. Your employment is treated as continuous for vacation entitlement, statutory termination entitlements and benefit plans.

Your employer must continue its required benefit-plan contributions. If you normally pay part of the cost, you must continue paying your share to maintain that protection.

⚠️ Denied leave, pressured to resign or fired? Keep the relevant documents and get advice before resigning or signing a release. Remember, severance pay in BC can reach 24 months’ pay. Have any severance package reviewed first.

Compassionate Care Leave BC: FAQs

Does Your Family Member Have to Die Within 26 Weeks?

No. The medical requirement is a significant risk of death, not certainty. Surviving beyond 26 weeks doesn’t automatically end your leave. The leave limits still apply.

Can You Take More Leave After the 52-Week Period?

Yes, if your family member still meets the medical requirements. A new qualifying certificate can support another period of up to 27 weeks of leave within a subsequent 52-week period.

Is Compassionate Care Leave the Same as Bereavement Leave?

No. Compassionate care leave supports caregiving while the person is alive. Bereavement leave applies after a death. BC provides up to three unpaid days following the death of an immediate family member.

What if Your Family Member Is Seriously Ill but Doesn’t Meet the End-of-Life Test?

Critical illness or injury leave, family responsibility leave or another protection may apply. See our BC leave of absence guide to compare your options.

Get Help With a Compassionate Care Leave Problem

The BC employment lawyers at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP help non-unionized employees facing denied leave, pressure to return early, problems returning to work and dismissal.

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➡️ Get a Consultation or call 1-855-821-5900.

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