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Statutory Leaves
As required by the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (Ontario) ( ESA), members continue to contribute for most statutory leaves, unless they choose in writing to stop contributing to the Plan.
Effective March 19, 2020, a A statutory leave includes:
Pregnancy leave
Parental leave
Declared Emergency Leave
Family medical leave
Family caregiver leave
Infectious Disease Emergency Leave
Organ donor leave
Critical illness leave
Crime-related child disappearance leave
Child death leave
Domestic or Sexual Violence Leave
Sick Leave
Family Responsibility Leave
Bereavement Leave
Reservist Leave
Note: For employees on a reservist leave, if the employer permits the member to contribute to HOOPP, contributions may be made by the member and matched by the employer.
Each of these leaves are defined in the ESA which sets out when these leaves are available to employees and how they apply. Employers are required to permit employees to take these types of leaves where eligible while maintaining employer-related benefits including HOOPP. Therefore, members do not require approval for these types of leaves and if a member decides to contribute for these periods of time, your organization must also make contributions at the required rate.
For more information, please refer to Declared Emergency or Infectious Disease Emergency Leaves during COVID-19 in 5.6 Special Situation
Other Types of Leaves
Short Term Leave – Leaves Less Than 31 Days
Contributions are mandatory for members and employers on any employer-approved leave that is 30 days or less in duration. If a member starts a short term leave (less than 31 days) but the leave subsequently exceeds 30 days, then the long term leave rules outlined below would apply, even if the member does not receive employment earnings for that leave period.
Leaves Exceeding 30 Days
Members may contribute during any other employer-approved leave, regardless of the reason for the leave, as long as you approve the request to contribute. The maximum length of a leave is defined by you, not HOOPP – HOOPP does not set limits on the length of leaves. The ITA sets limits on the amount of pension service a member can build while they are away from work.
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