Bereavement Leave Entitlements Across Canada by Province

Bereavement leave, also called grief leave, varies widely across Canada, with each province and territory defining its own guidelines on leave duration, eligibility requirements, pay status, and who qualifies as “immediate family.” This article provides an in-depth breakdown of grief leave entitlements across provinces, covering provincial definitions of immediate family, eligibility criteria, special circumstances, and links to relevant provincial resources. (For U.S., click here.)

Province/Territory	Length of Leave	Paid or Unpaid	Eligibility & Immediate Family Definitions	Link to Resource
Alberta	Up to 3 days	Unpaid	Eligible after 90 days of employment; immediate family includes spouse, partner, parent, child, and sibling.	Alberta Employment Standards
British Columbia	Up to 3 days	Unpaid	Covers spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, and grandchild; includes close kin who live with the employee.	BC Employment Standards
Manitoba	3 days	Unpaid	Immediate family covers spouse, common-law partner, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, and grandchild, including step and adoptive relations.	Manitoba Employment Standards
New Brunswick	Up to 5 days	3 days paid, 2 unpaid	Applies to immediate family, including spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, and in-laws.	New Brunswick Employment Standards
Newfoundland & Labrador	2 days paid, 3 additional unpaid	Paid/Unpaid	Immediate family includes spouse, partner, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, and grandchild; unpaid leave may extend to other relatives.	NL Employment Standards
Nova Scotia	5 days	Unpaid	Covers spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, and occasionally in-laws if close family bonds exist.	Nova Scotia Labour Standards
Ontario	2 days	Unpaid	Available for spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, and “other persons considered family,” depending on case specifics.	Ontario Employment Standards Bereavement Leave in Ontario
Prince Edward Island	3 days	Unpaid	Immediate family includes spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, and household relatives if approved by employer.	PEI Employment Standards
Quebec	5 days (2 paid for immediate family)	Paid/Unpaid	Covers spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, and extends to in-laws, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews for unpaid leave.	Quebec Labour Standards
Saskatchewan	5 days	Unpaid	Covers spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, and grandchild only.	Saskatchewan Employment Standards
Northwest Territories	3 days	Unpaid	Immediate family includes spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, and grandchild.	NWT Employment Standards
Nunavut	3 days	Unpaid	Limited to spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, and grandchild only.	Nunavut Employment Standards
Yukon	3 days	Unpaid	Includes spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, and grandchild; may cover close kin living with the employee.	Yukon Employment Standards

Important Considerations and Special Circumstances

Each province has unique aspects to its grief leave policy. Below are essential details on eligibility, family definitions, and special provisions across Canada:

Definitions of Immediate Family: The term “immediate family” varies slightly by province but generally includes spouses, children, parents, siblings, and grandparents. Some provinces have more expansive definitions:

• British Columbia and Quebec allow leave for close kin, such as in-laws or individuals who live with the employee.
• Quebec is the most inclusive, extending unpaid leave to in-laws, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews.

Eligibility Requirements: Many provinces, such as Alberta, require employees to work for at least 90 days before qualifying for bereavement leave. Others, like British Columbia and Manitoba, do not have this requirement, allowing leave from the start of employment.

Extended Leave for Special Circumstances: In specific cases, additional bereavement support is available:

• Ontario allows up to 8 days for certain emergencies, while Quebec offers extended leave in cases of child loss or severe family circumstances.

Public Sector and Unionized Workers: Workers in public sectors or under collective bargaining agreements may have additional leave benefits beyond the provincial standard. For example, public sector workers in some provinces are entitled to more paid days or expanded family definitions through their collective agreements.

Employer Policies and Collective Agreements: Many workplaces provide more extended or paid bereavement leave through internal policies or collective agreements, adding flexibility and support for employees during difficult times.

Federal Grief Leave Provisions

For employees under federal jurisdiction, the Canada Labour Code grants up to 5 days of bereavement leave, with the first 3 days paid, applicable to immediate family, including spouse, partner, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, and grandchild. This federal standard provides some flexibility for including additional close kin based on significant family bonds.

This article provides a complete look at grief leave across Canada, helping Canadians understand their entitlements and access additional information through provincial links. For specific eligibility details, refer directly to provincial standards or consult your workplace’s bereavement policies.