Sick Leave (unpaid). Family Responsibility Leave (unpaid). Compassionate Care Leave (unpaid). Critically Ill Child Care Leave (unpaid). Critically Ill Adult Care Leave (unpaid). Serious Illness or Injury Leave (unpaid). Pregnancy Leave (unpaid). Parental Leave (unpaid). Leave for End of Pregnancy (unpaid). Vacation Time and Vacation Pay (paid).
Effective from ; a source has never been verified against the live page. Nova Scotia's own rule.
Sick Leave (unpaid). Family Responsibility Leave (unpaid). Compassionate Care Leave (unpaid). Critically Ill Child Care Leave (unpaid). Critically Ill Adult Care Leave (unpaid). Serious Illness or Injury Leave (unpaid). Pregnancy Leave (unpaid). Parental Leave (unpaid). Leave for End of Pregnancy (unpaid). Vacation Time and Vacation Pay (paid).
Version 1 · effective from · a source has never been verified against the live page
Verification: approved by a person (carried over from Juriset's first release).
Programs
Name
Sick Leave
Paid
no
Condition
unpaid leave of absence of up to five days per year due to the employee’s own illness or injury
Annual max
5
Leave type
sick
Job protected
yes
Annual max unit
days
Name
Family Responsibility Leave
Paid
no
Condition
up to three days of unpaid leave each year to care for an ill parent, child, or family member. These three days can also be used for medical, dental, or other similar appointments for the employee or the employee family member.
Annual max
3
Leave type
sick
Job protected
yes
Annual max unit
days
Name
Compassionate Care Leave
Paid
no
Condition
up to 28 weeks' leave, which must be taken within a 52-week time frame; medical certificate stating the family member has a serious medical condition with a significant risk of death within twenty-six weeks
Annual max
28
Leave type
family_medical
Job protected
yes
Annual max unit
weeks
Eligibility service months
3
Upcoming changes
No published changes are waiting to take effect.
Change history
Province: Nova Scotia
Version
Effective
Published
Change
Value
1in effect
new
paid_leave in ca-ns: version 1, effective 2026-10-29, published (new)
Sick Leave (unpaid). Family Responsibility Leave (unpaid). Compassionate Care Leave (unpaid). Critically Ill Child Care Leave (unpaid). Critically Ill Adult Care Leave (unpaid). Serious Illness or Injury Leave (unpaid). Pregnancy Leave (unpaid). Parental Leave (unpaid). Leave for End of Pregnancy (unpaid). Vacation Time and Vacation Pay (paid).
The response holds everything on this page, including each level's sources. See the API docs; a free key is enough for today's rule.
Informational only. Not legal advice. Verify with the cited source.
Name
Critically Ill Child Care Leave
Paid
no
Condition
up to 37 weeks’ leave, which must be taken within a 52-week time frame; child under the age of 18
Annual max
37
Leave type
family_medical
Job protected
yes
Annual max unit
weeks
Eligibility service months
3
Name
Critically Ill Adult Care Leave
Paid
no
Condition
up to 16 weeks’ leave, which must be taken within a 52-week time frame; adult 18 years old or older
Annual max
16
Leave type
family_medical
Job protected
yes
Annual max unit
weeks
Eligibility service months
3
Name
Serious Illness or Injury Leave
Paid
no
Condition
This leave may not exceed twenty-seven weeks in any fifty-two week period.
Annual max
27
Leave type
family_medical
Job protected
yes
Annual max unit
weeks
Eligibility service months
3
Name
Pregnancy Leave
Paid
no
Condition
16-week pregnancy leave entitlement; minimum period of employment prescribed as any part of 1 day; may qualify for maternity benefits under the federal Employment Insurance program
Annual max
16
Leave type
family_medical
Job protected
yes
Annual max unit
weeks
Name
Parental Leave
Paid
no
Condition
If an employee is taking parental leave but not pregnancy leave, the employee can take up to 77 weeks' leave in the time after the child is born or arrives in the home. The employee loses this right if the leave is not taken within 18 months after the child arrives in the home. Minimum period of employment prescribed as any part of 1 day.
Leave type
family_medical
Job protected
yes
Annual max unit
weeks
Name
Leave for End of Pregnancy
Paid
no
Condition
If pregnancy ends before completing week 19: up to 5 consecutive working days; after completing week 19: up to 16 consecutive weeks; up to 6 additional weeks if more than 10 weeks of pregnancy leave taken. Spouses and certain others: up to 5 consecutive working days.
Leave type
family_medical
Job protected
yes
Name
Vacation Time and Vacation Pay
Paid
yes
Condition
vacation time of two weeks after each period of 12 months of work and must give the vacation time within 10 months following the 12-month earning period; three weeks’ vacation time in ninth year of service (having completed 8 years); vacation pay at least 4 percent of gross wages, increasing to 6 percent at the start of the eighth year of service (after completing 7 years)
Funded by
employer
Annual max
2
Leave type
vacation
Service tiers
Annual max
2
Service min months
12
Vacation pay percent
4
Annual max
2
Service min months
84
Vacation pay percent
6
Annual max
3
Service min months
96
Vacation pay percent
6
Annual max unit
weeks
Vacation pay percent
4
Eligibility service months
12
Source:Vacation Time and Vacation Pay - Labour Standards, Earning Vacation Time (supports programs[9].name, programs[9].paid, programs[9].leave_type, programs[9].annual_max, programs[9].annual_max_unit, programs[9].eligibility_service_months, programs[9].service_tiers[0], programs[9].service_tiers[1], programs[9].service_tiers[2], programs[9].condition, programs[9].funded_by, programs[9].vacation_pay_percent)
Employers must give employees vacation time of two weeks after each period of 12 months of work and must give the vacation time within 10 months following the 12-month earning period. In their ninth year of service (having completed 8 years), the employee must receive three weeks’ vacation time. … Employers must pay employees vacation pay of at least 4 percent of gross wages . Vacation pay earnings increase to 6 percent of gross wages at the start of an employee’s eighth year of service (after completing 7 years).
The minimum period for which a pregnant employee must have been employed by her employer for purposes of establishing entitlement to a pregnancy leave under subsection 59(1) of the Code is prescribed as any part of 1 day, instead of the period of 1 year set out in that subsection. … The minimum period for which an employee must have been employed by their employer for purposes of establishing entitlement to a parental leave under subsection 59B(1) of the Code is prescribed as any part of 1 day, instead of the period of 1 year set out in that subsection.
accept the employee back to the same position held by the employee immediately before the leave began, or, where that position is not available, in a comparable position with no loss of seniority or benefits when the employee returns from the leave … Employees are entitled to an unpaid leave of absence of up to five days per year due to the employee’s own illness or injury. … Employees are entitled to receive up to three days of unpaid leave each year to care for an ill parent, child, or family member. These three days can also be used for medical, dental, or other similar appointments for the employee or the employee family member. … Compassionate care leave is an unpaid leave that allows an employee to take time off work to provide care and support to a seriously ill family member (or a person like family). … To qualify for this leave, the employee must have worked with their employer for at least three months. A qualified medical practitioner must issue a medical certificate stating that the employee's family member has a serious medical condition with a significant risk of death within twenty-six weeks. … Employees who qualify for compassionate care leave can take up to 28 weeks' leave, which must be taken within a 52-week time frame. … Critically ill child care leave is an unpaid leave that allows an employee to take time off work to provide care and support to a critically ill or injured child (under the age of 18 years old) who is a family member (or person like family). To qualify for this leave, the employee must have worked with the employer for at least three months. … The employee can take up to 37 weeks’ leave, which must be taken within a 52-week time frame. … Critically ill adult care leave is an unpaid leave that allows an employee to take time off work to provide care and support to a critically ill or injured adult (18 years old or older) who is a family member (or a person like family). To qualify for this leave, the employee must have worked with the employer for at least three months. … The employee can take up to 16 weeks’ leave, which must be taken within a 52-week time frame. … An employee who has been employed by an employer for a period of at least three months and who has been diagnosed with a serious illness or injury is entitled to an unpaid leave of absence of up to twenty-seven weeks from … This leave may not exceed twenty-seven weeks in any fifty-two week period. … Most of the leaves are unpaid leaves of absence, meaning that the employer does not have to pay the employee during these absences. Employment Insurance benefits may be available for some of these leaves. … The employee can take the remainder of their 16-week pregnancy leave entitlement under the Labour Standards Code, which is 10 weeks … Employees who take pregnancy and/or parental leave may qualify for maternity benefits and/or parental leave benefits under the federal government's Employment Insurance program. … If an employee is taking parental leave but not pregnancy leave, the employee can take up to 77 weeks' leave in the time after the child is born or arrives in the home. The employee loses this right if the leave is not taken within 18 months after the child arrives in the home. … Leave for end of pregnancy is an unpaid leave of absence for employees who experience an end of pregnancy. … If an employee's pregnancy ends before completing week 19 of pregnancy, they are entitled to an unpaid leave of absence of up to 5 consecutive working days. If an employee's pregnancy ends after completing week 19 of pregnancy, they are entitled to an unpaid leave of absence of up to 16 consecutive weeks. If an employee's pregnancy ends while they are on pregnancy leave, and they have taken more than 10 weeks of pregnancy leave when their pregnancy ends, they are entitled to up to 6 additional weeks of unpaid leave from the day their pregnancy ended. … If a pregnancy ends, the following people are entitled to up to 5 consecutive working days of unpaid leave: