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What leave of absence options and rights do I have at work?

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Looking for information on leave of absence options and can’t find it in your collective bargaining agreement? Employment standards provides a number of options to allow time to deal with certain events without risking job loss.

If you have questions about your rights or your collective bargaining agreement, reach out to your Union Representative.

Leaves for provincially-regulated workplaces

Read more from Employment Standards Manitoba on the leaves available including:

  • Bereavement
  • Compassionate Care
  • Family
  • Interpersonal Violence
  • for Citizenship Ceremony
  • for Organ Donation
  • for Reservists
  • Related to Critical Illness
  • Related to the Death or Disappearance of a Child
  • Long-Term for Serious Injury or Illness
  • Maternity
  • Parental
  • Public Health Emergency

Leaves for federally-regulated workplaces

Read more from Employment and Social Development Canada  on the paid and unpaid leaves available to workers in federally-regulated workplaces or industries, including:

  • Maternity-related reassignment and leave
  • Maternity and parental
  • Compassionate care
  • Critical illness
  • Death or disappearance of a child
  • Personal
  • Victims of family violence
  • Traditional Aboriginal practices
  • Court or jury duty
  • Bereavement
  • Medical
  • Related to COVID-19
  • Members of the reserve force

COVID-19 vaccination leave

Employees can have up to three hours of paid leave for each time they are vaccinated against COVID-19. Read more from the Government of Manitoba fact sheet.

The right to refuse unsafe work

Read more from Safe Work Manitoba on your right to refuse to perform a specific job or task you believe is unsafe without being disciplined by your employer. You may be temporarily assigned a new task while the right to refuse is being investigated, at no loss in pay.​

The right to refuse work on a Sunday

Read more from Employment Standards Manitoba on your right as a retail employee to refuse work on a Sunday if you give your employer at least 14 days’ notice, except in the following circumstances:

  • You agreed in writing at the time of being hired to work on Sundays;
  • You’re under a collective agreement that provides that you must not refuse to work on Sundays; and
  • You work in a retail business establishment where the number of persons, including the owner, employed for the sale of goods or services does not ordinarily exceed four persons at any one time.

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