Did You Know?
This article was published before the transition to the new Plan Administrator, Canada Life. If you have any questions, contact the PSHCP Member Contact Centre at 1-855-415-4414 (toll-free anywhere in North America) or 1-431-489-4064 (call collect if you are outside North America).
Your employer may authorize leave without pay (LWOP) for various reasons. To maintain PSHCP coverage, you will generally be required to pay only the PSHCP employee contributions, depending on the purpose of your leave. The table below outlines the different scenarios where LWOP may be applicable, and the impact on contributions.
| Purpose of LWOP | Employee contributions | Employer contributions |
Training, instruction or service related to employment requested by the Government of Canada or the Canadian Forces. | Employee pays regular share of benefits | Employer pays regular share of benefits |
| Pregnancy, illness or disability, Parental leave for care and nurturing within 52 weeks of the birth or adoption of a child. | Employee pays regular share of benefits | Employer pays regular share of benefits |
| The leave portion of a leave with income averaging or pre-retirement leave arrangement | Employee pays regular share of benefits | Employer pays regular share of benefits |
Leave for personal needs Administrative leave (see vaccination policy) Off-pay/off-duty status | Employee pays regular share of benefits plus employer share (after 90 days) | Employer pays regular share for first 90 days only |
| Unauthorized leave Suspension | Employee pays regular share of benefits | Employee pays employer share of benefits |
| Taking any kind of leave without pay for reasons not listed above | Employee pays regular share of benefits | Employee pays employer share of benefits |
The above table is a summary and may not include all types of LWOP. Should there be any discrepancy between information in this article and that contained in the PSHCP Directive, the PSHCP Directive will apply.
You can terminate your PSHCP coverage at any time when on LWOP. You will, however, be responsible for contributions as indicated in the table above, from the date your LWOP starts, until the last day of the month following the compensation officer’s receipt of your request to terminate coverage. If you cancel your PSHCP coverage while on LWOP, you cannot apply to rejoin the plan until you return to work. Upon your return, should you reapply to join the PSHCP, coverage will not be reinstated until three months after your application is received.
Contributions can be paid in advance or upon your return to work. If you choose to pay them upon your return to work, they must be paid on a schedule that does not exceed your period of leave. Consult the Public Service Pay Centre or your departmental compensation services for your specific repayment schedule. Contact your Human Resources team or the Public Service Pay Centre to learn more about your options. You can also review the PSHCP Directive.