Manitoba Extends Serious Injury or Illness Leave to 27 Weeks

Summary

Manitoba has increased serious injury or illness leave under The Employment Standards Code from 17 weeks to 27 weeks. The change was announced on March 7, 2024, and took effect on November 7, 2024, when the amendment received royal assent.

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Manitoba has updated The Employment Standards Code to increase serious injury or illness leave from 17 weeks to 27 weeks. The change is designed to better align Manitoba’s unpaid job-protected leave with the longer federal EI sickness benefit period.

The Manitoba government announced the proposed change on March 7, 2024, when it introduced Bill 9, The Employment Standards Code Amendment Act. The bill states that the leave for serious injury or illness would be increased from 17 weeks to 27 weeks.

The amendment later received royal assent on November 7, 2024, and because the Act says it comes into force on the day it receives royal assent, the change took effect on November 7, 2024. That means employees covered by Manitoba’s Employment Standards Code are now entitled to up to 27 weeks of unpaid leave for serious injury or illness, provided they meet the eligibility requirements under the Code.

A useful detail in the amendment is that it includes a transitional rule. If an employee was already on this leave, or had already given notice for it, when the amendment came into force, their entitlement increased from a total of up to 17 weeks to a total of up to 27 weeks.

For employers, this is a practical update worth noting in leave policies, HR guides, and manager training. For employees, it means more time is now protected under provincial law while recovering from a serious injury or illness. That practical takeaway is an interpretation of the amendment’s effect, but it follows directly from the statutory change.

References

Manitoba government news release, “Manitoba Government Introduces Legislation to Protect Workers Recovering from Illness or Injury,” dated March 7, 2024.

The Employment Standards Code Amendment Act, Bill 9, 1st Session, 43rd Legislature.

The Employment Standards Code Amendment Act, S.M. 2024, c. 32, assented to November 7, 2024.

Current consolidated version of The Employment Standards Code, C.C.S.M. c. E110.