5. Find out about other leaves

If the (ESA) applies to your job, you may be able to take:

organ donor leave
reservist leave

Your employer does not have to pay you for these leaves, unless you have a contract or workplace policy that says they do. Read more in the Answer under the heading Getting paid.

Organ donor leave

You might be able to get organ donor leave if you:

are having surgery so you can donate an organ, and
have worked for your employer for at least 13 weeks.

How long you can take

You can take up to 13 weeks of organ donor leave.

You may be able to get up to 13 more weeks, for a total of 26 weeks of leave. To do this, you must have a medical certificate that says how much more time off you need before you can go back to work.

Tell your employer

Tell your employer in writing 2 weeks before you need to take organ donor leave.

If you cannot tell your employer 2 weeks before, tell them as soon as you can.

Proof you need the leave

Your employer can require you to give them a letter from a doctor that says that you're having surgery so you can donate an organ. This is also called a medical certificate.

Getting paid

You might be able to get Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefits for up to 26 weeks. You might also be able to get money from the Program for Reimbursing Expenses of Living Organ Donors (PRELOD).

Reservist leave

Reservist leave is for members of the Canadian Armed Forces reserves. It applies when you're away:

on deployment
to help with an emergency
for military training
to get treatment or recover from getting sick or injured while doing one of the things above

For example, you could be on a search and rescue operation or dealing with an event like a flood or ice storm.

To get reservist leave, you must have worked for your employer for at least 2 months in a row.

How long you can take

The leave can be for as long as the Canadian Armed Forces needs you.

Tell your employer

You must tell your employer in writing when the leave will begin and end.

Proof you need the leave

Your employer can require you to give them proof that you need the leave.