Standard vs extended parental leave: which pays more?
Standard and extended EI parental benefits pay about the same total. Standard pays 55% for up to 40 shared weeks; extended pays 33% for up to 69 shared weeks. The choice is how long to stretch the money, and it can't be undone once a payment is made.
The two options side by side (2026)
| Standard | Extended | |
|---|---|---|
| Share of weekly earnings | 55% | 33% |
| Most per week | $729 | $437 |
| Weeks shared between parents | Up to 40 | Up to 69 |
| Most weeks for one parent | 35 | 61 |
| Maternity weeks for the birth parent (paid at 55% either way) | 15 | 15 |
EI counts earnings up to $68,900 a year in 2026, which is why the weekly amounts top out at $729 and $437. Quebec parents use QPIP instead, which has its own rules.
An example family
Parent 1 earns $72,000 and takes 15 weeks of maternity benefits. Parent 2 earns $85,000. Both earn above the $68,900 cap, so both get the weekly maximum.
| Standard | Extended | |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks of paid leave, maternity included | 55 | 84 |
| Weekly parental benefit, each parent | $729 | $437 |
| Total EI before tax | $40,081 | $41,084 |
Assumes parent 1 takes the most weeks one parent can, and parent 2 takes the rest (5 weeks standard, 8 weeks extended).
Run your own numbers. Enter both parents' earnings and see how splitting the weeks changes your total.
Open the parental leave plannerHow to choose
- Choose standard if you need more money each week, or plan to return to work within about a year.
- Choose extended if you want more time at home and can manage on a smaller weekly amount, for example with savings or an employer top-up.
- Check your job protection. Leave rules come from your province's employment standards or your employer, separately from EI.
Rules to know before you apply
- If parents share the weeks, both must choose the same option, and each applies separately.
- Once a week of parental benefits is paid, you can't switch between standard and extended.
- Parents can take their weeks at the same time or one after the other.
- EI benefits are taxable income.