Your employee submits a leave request on a Friday afternoon. By Monday, you need to know: Is this leave protected? How long? Do you top up pay? Does the union agreement change anything? Do provincial rules override the federal minimums? If you hesitated on any of those questions, you are not alone. This hesitation carries significant risk. Leave law in Canada is layered, jurisdiction-specific, and fast-moving. In 2026, the stakes are higher than ever. More employees know thei