Bay of Quinte MP Williams Applauds New Law to Improve Parental Bereavement Leave
Yesterday in the House of Commons, Private Member’s Bill C-211, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (bereavement leave), was included into the government’s Bill C-3. This bill will extend bereavement leave to eight weeks of unpaid leave for parents who have experienced a stillbirth, the death of a child under the age of 18, or the death of a disabled child in the parent’s care.
Bay of Quinte MP Ryan Williams was a second to this Private Members Bill that supports grieving parents. Williams says “I am incredibly grateful that Bereavement Leave has been passed by the Government. This is going to be welcome news to parents who have suffered the devastating loss of a child at birth or through miscarriage. My wife Allyson and I lost our son Teddy at birth to a congenital heart defect just over 6 years ago, so I know firsthand the toll this takes on parents.”
The current bereavement system outlined in the Canada Labour Code only includes a generic three days of paid and two days of unpaid bereavement leave.