Am I still eligible for maternity benefits (CANADA ONLY PLS)?

I'm actually an HR Advisor for the Federal Government so I get these questions ALL the time, and I happen to be starting my mat leave on the 16th :) Mat leave IS esentially EI, it's just a different group of people who qualify then those who are unemployed. You cannot have back-to-back EI claims (except if you were laid off and are now upgrading your skills, this is in response to the economic downturn). If you want a full year I would suggest you try and go back to work asap to ensure you have the required hours. If you find full-time work you will need to be employed for about 4 months. They will not transfer you from standard EI to maternity EI as the amount you receive would not change.

Also, in response to the person who said you can apply 8 weeks in advance, this is not the case. You cannot apply until your last of work but you must apply before you have been OFF work for 8 weeks otherwise your claim may be rejected.

You would not be put on preventative leave because of H1N1. I work for a sector of the government that deals with disease and there are NO federal regulations about people being put on leave because of this. Also, it would be discrimination if you were not hired because of your pregnancy.

If this is still unclear to you then I suggest you call the EI office whose number is available on their website.

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Maternity Leave Canada

You need at least 620 hours to qualify for maternity leave. If you are in the middle of a claim they will not transfer you from a reg ei claim to a maternity claim unless you have worked 620 hours in the 52 weeks before you start your maternity claim. You can only apply for maternity 8 weeks before your expected due date. SO, technichally if your claim is 46 weeks long, and you get pregnant immediately, and you can't work (although I don't know what part of Canada your in, its pretty ridiculous to restrict you because of H1N1) you can apply for sick benefits with a note from your doctor and they can than transfer you to maternity/parfental benefits for 35 weeks after you have delivered. But you would have to get pregnant immediately for this to work. Hope this helped.

Infertility can be caused by a huge number of factors: hormone imbalance, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Endometriosis, Anovulatory Cycles, physical blockage, inadequate hormone production, short luteal phase, lack of lutenizing hormone, high levels or prolactin, and many others. How to get pregnant https://tr.im/x1x2e

Poor nutrition often plays a major role, as does exposure to toxins. Age plays less of a role before menopause than was originally thought. While there are many wonderful naturally minded fertility specialists out there, in many cases it is not possible for them to test for and address any of these possible underlying issues.

I think you can as long as you have enough hours to do so.