Department of Medicine Weekly Roundup - May 1 - Year 1 agreement supports new parents
Page 6 of 7: Year 1 agreement supports new parents
Page 6 of 7
*Sent on behalf of Dr. Cathy Faulds, OMA Board Chair*
Dear colleagues,
For so many of our members, balancing the demands of being a doctor with the added responsibilities of parenthood can be stressful and challenging.
That’s why I am pleased to announce a new agreement with the Ministry of Health to offer Ontario doctors one of the most generous parental leave programs in the country.
These benefits will give parents more financial support while they are on parental leave, and provide the birth parent more time with their newborn.
The agreement is part of the Year 1 targeted physician compensation investments in the 2024-2028 Physician Services Agreement. It follows last week’s announcement on arbitrated awards for emergency medicine and rural and northern Ontario health care.
What’s changed?
The maximum benefit has increased substantially — from $1,300 per week to $2,000, with a much higher allowance for the income the parent on leave can earn. In addition, the birth parent has access to five more weeks of leave.
Here are the details:
The updated benefits apply as of April 1, 2025, and all physicians starting their leave on or after that date will qualify.
For information about eligibility or to apply for benefits, visit the ministry’s page for the program (please note: the ministry will update its page on Friday, May 2).
A positive step, but there’s more to do.
We are committed to advocating to make your work life better, and we are keeping the pressure on the government through our advocacy, in meetings with elected officials, at bilateral tables and through negotiations.
Our work to mediate the remaining Year 1 targeted physician compensation investments is key. We are pushing ahead on much-needed enhancements in family medicine, for specialties, as well as Years 2-4. If we are not able to finalize these issues through mediation, arbitration will begin in the summer.
If your issue wasn’t addressed in our recent announcements, please know there is more to come. We appreciate your patience as we continue this important work in the weeks and months ahead.
I would like to extend thanks once again to the Negotiations Task Force, OMA staff, my board colleagues, and CEO Kimberly Moran. We are united in our desire to improve the lives of our members, and we are seeing this reflected in our results for physicians looking to start a family, working in northern Ontario, and staffing our Emergency Departments.
