If You Expect To Be Off Work Less Than 15 Weeks
During the first 15 weeks of a health leave you must make contributions on any earnings you receive from your employer.
Partial earnings
If you are paid a percentage of your pre-leave earnings during the first 15 weeks of your health leave, you have two options:
- You can make contributions on the pay you receive, and accrue benefits at that level.
- You can top up your contributions to your pre-leave level – in other words, make contributions as if you were being paid 100 per cent of your earnings. Contributing for a leave or other unpaid period means you build more contributory service, and ultimately, a bigger HOOPP pension benefit. The webpage Why Contributing for Leaves Helps gives more detail on this.
No earnings
If you receive no earnings at all during your first 15 weeks of a health leave, you can contribute up to the full amount of what you would normally have contributed had you been working. This will ensure you have an opportunity to accrue the full amount of contributory service you would normally have built.
You do not have to contribute up to the level of your normal earnings, but be aware, that if you contribute less, your pre-leave earnings, you will accumulate contributory service at that lower level.
WSIB
If you are receiving Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB) benefits, contributions are not mandatory. But you have the option to make contributions on any benefits you receive from WSIB.
Your contributory service will be based on contributions received. You can make your contributions in two ways:
- during the first 15 weeks of your health leave
- within six months of the end of the first 15 weeks.
Income tax limits
There are limits under the Income Tax Act on the amount of service you can build during leaves. Please consult our Pension Leaves Limits page for details.
If your leave is going to be 15 weeks or longer
If you expected your leave to be less than 15 weeks, but do not recover as quickly as anticipated, it is very important to make sure HOOPP has new medical evidence before the 15-week period expires.
It’s up to you to ensure HOOPP receives medical evidence by the requested date. If you miss a deadline and subsequently provide qualifying medical evidence, you may have a gap in your contributory service.
If you are unable to perform your job for longer than 15 weeks, you may qualify for HOOPP disability benefits, depending on what HOOPP defines as your level of disability. Ask your employer for a HOOPP Disability Kit for more information, or click on one of the links below.
