Certain personal situations disrupt professional life unpredictably: serious illness, loss of autonomy or end-of-life care for a loved one, for example. For employees, these moments lead to stress, emotional fatigue and often cause a conflict between personal and professional responsibilities.
From the employer’s perspective, offering a Compassionate Care Leave means recognizing these realities and providing valuable support to your teams during these difficult times.
When personal realities disrupt professional life
Many people occupy the role of informal caregivers. These responsibilities have tangible impacts on their daily work and the overall performance of organizations.
According to the 2020 data from Statistics Canada:
- 51% of informal caregivers looking after their child show signs of psychological distress
- An employee caring for a relative with cancer experiences a 22.9% drop in work productivity
- 36% of young caregivers must either miss work, arrive late or leave work early
Without access to proper support measures, these realities can lead to burnout, disability or professional disengagement. It is therefore essential to implement solutions that match these challenges.
Understanding the Compassionate Care Leave in a few key points
The Compassionate Care Leave allows an employee to temporarily step away from work to care for a spouse or child, who is affected by a serious medical condition.
For whom and in what situations?
This type of leave is particularly suited for critical situations : end-of-life care, loss of autonomy, serious accidents or illnesses. It allows the employee to fully dedicate themselves to their caregiving role without compromising their professional stability.
What labour standards provide
Canadian labor standards legislate certain leaves for family responsibilities. However, these can sometimes be short-term, unpaid and not well suited for extended caregiving.
The Compassionate Care Leave is a protection included in Humania Assurance’s Long-Term Disability Insurance. It complements existing benefits to offer a fairer, more flexible and truly compassionate coverage.
Humania’s offer : an integrated, simple and human response
A protection included in Long-Term Disability Insurance
Humania Assurance has integrated the Compassionate Care Leave into its Long-Term Disability Insurance coverage included in group plans if chosen by the employer.
This approach allows :
- A monthly payment of up to 12 months to support the employee throughout their absence period
- Identical conditions to Disability Insurance, both for the waiting period and the benefit amount
- To provide additional financial support, following the benefits paid by government programs which are sometimes limited.
With this solution, the employer no longer has administrative burden and the employee benefits from solid support when they need it most.
It’s a modern way to build a more humane work environment, where performance and compassion coexist naturally.
Taking it further
Choosing a Disability Insurance that includes a Compassionate Care Leave in your group plan is much more than just adding a benefit: it’s about establishing a culture of care, prevention and retention.
Here’s how you can maximize its impact in your organization :
HR best practices to implement
- Integrate this protection into your HR policies
A well-formulated policy facilitates management and reduces gray areas, ensuring that the right to this leave is clear, fair and easily accessible to all your employees. - Inform your managers
A well-equipped manager can act with empathy and efficiency. They can better support affected employees and maintain a climate of trust within the team. - Communicate this protection to your employees
Highlighting this option in your internal communications demonstrate that the well-being of your employees is not just a principle, but a concrete reality.
These practices strengthen employee engagement, reduce absenteeism and send a clear message: here, we care about people.
Humania as a strategic partner
Humania Assurance supports you with simple, tangible and accessible solutions. Our group protections are designed to meet the realities of today’s workplace and to enhance your employer brand.
By partnering with Humania, you’re choosing an insurer who understands your HR challenges and offers concrete tools to improve your team’s well-being.
To learn more
To explore all the details of this essential protection, consult our Compassionate Care Leave brochure or visit compassionate.humania.ca.
In case of discrepancies between the information shared in this article and the actual insurance policy, the latter will prevail.
