In the canadian province of Québec the introduction of a non transferable right to paternity leave has translated into a steady increase in participation of fathers and in a boost of the fertility rate
Over recent years, parental leave policy in Canada has evolved quite considerably. Since 2001, Canadian employees have a right to a one year paid parental leave, while those in the province of Québec have a better paid, more flexible regime, and non-transferable paid paternity leave since 2006 (Tremblay, 2009).
The Canadian parental leave is a component of the Employment Insurance Programme, which used to be called Unemployment Insurance until 1994. This is an employer-employee financed program, which is destined at unemployment insurance, but which has seen a few elements be integrated into it over recent years, particularly a scheme for part-time unemployment insurance (unemployment or employment sharing added in 1981) as well as more recently maternity and parental leaves.
To have access to the Canadian regime, parents must have worked 600 hours, and they then have access to benefits that are equivalent to 55 % of their salary up to a ceiling which is adjusted each year (CAN$43,200 (€32,620); i.e. a benefit payment ceiling of CAN$457 (€345) per week in 2011).
In 2001, the length of parental leave was increased by adding 25 weeks of paid parental leave for a total of 35 weeks. Since 2001, mothers who take maternity leave as well as all of the shared entitlement parental leave benefits have access to 50 weeks of leave, compared to 25 weeks previously.
The 25 week increase in parental leave has produced a non negligible increase in use by fathers from 3% in 2000, to 11% , and then increasing to 15 % in 2005 (Statistics Canada data). The rate of participation in Canada in general has increased to 23% in 2006, but this is essentially due to the increase in participation of fathers from Québec (francophone province of Canada). All this applied to Québec until 2006, when Québec parents obtained a better regime than their Canadian counterparts.
A New Regime for Paid Parental Leave in Québec
The new Parental Leave program introduced in 2006 is a better paid and more flexible regime than in Canada. The main change, and a true innovation in North America (especially considering the USA has no national leave regime), is the introduction of a non transferable right to paternity leave which has translated into a steady increase in participation of fathers; on average, some 78% of fathers have taken a 7 week leave in 2011.
The province of Québec has always been very active in family policy issues and this is largely due to the active role that progressive family associations, unions and womens’ groups have played in the process (Barrère and Tremblay, 2009). In recent years, universal and affordable access to childcare has been the centerpiece of the policy, with Family Allowance (income security) and parental leave benefits. (Tremblay, 2009). The program represents a unique innovation in North America and the regime has been such a success that it has even increased the fertility rate (from 1.45 to 1.7).
First change, there is easier eligibility to the program compared with the Canadian scheme, since it is no longer required to have worked 600 hours, but simply to have had 2000$ in insurable earnings; 77% of Québec mothers thus had access to parental leave in 2007, while it was only 62% in the rest of Canada (Marshall 2008). The Québec Plan is thus more accessible and allows more parents, including students, part-time, and self-employed workers to receive benefits.
A second important change has to do with the introduction of more flexibility into the Plan. Québec parents now have two options: a basic plan (longer leave with lower benefits) or a special plan (shorter leave with higher benefits). The basic plan provides benefits of 70 percent of the average weekly income for 18 weeks of maternity leave (+ possibly 7 of parental) and 5 weeks of paternity leave; then it is 55% for 25 weeks of parental leave. The so-called “special plan” offers higher income replacement rates but for a shorter period : maternity and paternity leave benefits are 75 percent of the weekly salary and are paid for respectively 15 weeks and 3 weeks. After this, parental leave is offered at 75 percent for 25 weeks and can be shared by father and mother. Under this second plan, the mother can receive benefits for a maximum of 40 week. Adoption leave can also be shared by both parents for 28 weeks at 75% in the special plan.
The third change involves the increased maximum eligible income, which is important for the participation of fathers. In addition to the abolition of the 14-day waiting period without benefits (under Canadian EI), the Quebec Plan has increased the maximum insurable income to $64,000 (€47,195) instead of $43,200.
Finally, the most important change concerns paternity leave. A unique situation in North America, a non transferable paid paternity leave has been implemented; fathers can take 3 to 5 weeks of paid paternity leave and these weeks cannot be transferred to the mother.
This has been a great success in terms of participation of fathers as 4 out of 5 take the leave and for 7 weeks on average.
References
Barrère-Maurisson, M.A. and D.-G. Tremblay (2009, dir.). Concilier travail et famille. Le rôle des acteurs. Québec-France. Québec : PUQ. 456 p. http://puq.ca/catalogue/livres/concilier-travail-famille-425.html
Doucet, A., McKay, L. and D.-G. Tremblay (2009). Parental Leave in Canada and Québec : how to explain the different routes taken ? in Peter Moss and Sheila Kamerman (eds) . The Politics of Parental Leave Policies. Bristol , UK : Policy Press.
Marshall, K. (2008). Father's use of Parental Leave. Perspectives on Labour and Income 20. 5-14.
Tremblay, D.G. (2008). Conciliation emploi-famille et temps sociaux. Québec: PUQ.
Tremblay, D.-G. (2009).Quebec's policies for work-family balance: A model for Canada? In Cohen, Marjorie et Jane Pulkingham (2009). Public Policy for Women. The State, Income Security and Labour Market Issues. University of Toronto Press. Pp.271-290.
Tremblay, D.-G. (2010). Paid Parental Leave : an employee right or still an ideal ? The situation in Québec and in Canada. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal. vol. 22, no 2, pp. 83-100. Online https://springerlink3.metapress.com/content/lx7155250u42w210/resource-secured/?target=fulltext.pdf&sid=qyrpx3z1bdfxrejzk5jfsliq&sh=www.springerlink.com
Tremblay, D.-G. and E. Genin (2011). Parental leave: an important employee right, but an organizational challenge. . Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal. DOI: 10.1007/s10672-011-9176-0 Online: http://www.springerlink.com/openurl.asp?genre=article&id=doi:10.1007/s1…
Tremblay, D.-G. and É. Genin, (2008). Perceived Organisational Support to Work-Life Balance ; the Case of Municipal Police Service. Report of the Canada Research Chair and CURA on Work-Life Articulation over the Lifecourse; University of Quebec in Montreal (TELUQ)(www.teluq..ca/chaireecosavoir; www.teluq.ca/aruc-gats)
