Congratulations, you?re having a baby! In Canada, if you?re a biological or surrogate mother who?s pregnant or has just given birth, you may be eligible for maternity leave benefits through Employment Insurance (EI). Technically, it’s 15 weeks of maternity leave followed by 35 weeks of parental leave.
If you have insurable employment (meaning, your employer deducts EI premiums from your wages or salary), or you?re self-employed and are registered for the EI program, and have worked enough hours to qualify, you can apply for benefits as long as the industry you?re in qualifies. (Your normal weekly earnings must have been reduced by more than 40 percent and you need to have accumulated at least 600 hours of insurable employment during the qualifying period?which is usually the 12 months or 52 weeks prior to applying.) ?Ask your employer to help you understand what your benefits will be,? says Melanie Peacock, an associate professor of human resources in the Bissett School of Business at Mount Royal University in Calgary. If you work for a large company, a human resources representative will be able to tell you whether you have enough insurable hours to qualify for Canada?s Employment Insurance maternity and parental leave benefits. Also ask whether your company offers additional benefits, such as topping up your government pay while on leave. 
Most moms-to-be want to know how long they can receive EI maternity benefits, and how much money they?ll get while off work....