Buying service for a leave

Learn about your options for buying service during or after a leave of absence.

1. Eligibility for buying service for a leave

3. Purchase options

5. What the cost will be

7. Process: lump-sum payment

2. Which leaves you can buy

4. What deadlines are involved

6. Process: continuous contributions

8. What to discuss with WorkSafeBC Total Rewards

Purchase options

For leaves under the Employment Standards Act (ESA), two purchase options are available:

Option 1: Continuous contributions (about once a month) throughout your leave
Option 2: Lump-sum payment after your leave ends

For general leaves or other service types, you can only make a lump-sum payment (option 2).

Which option is best for you?

If you are taking an ESA-approved leave, you must decide which option is best for you.

You may decide smaller monthly payments throughout your leave are more manageable. The cost is calculated based on your full-time salary for the given payment cycle. The cost will increase slightly if you receive regular salary increases.

Alternatively, you may wish to pay a larger lump sum. Since the cost is based on your salary and the contribution rates at the time you apply, you may want to buy service as soon as possible rather than waiting until the deadline. If you wait and earn a higher salary, the cost may noticeably increase.

Whether to make monthly payments or one lump-sum payment is your choice. You may want to seek advice from an independent financial planner to help you decide.