Buying service for a leave
Learn about your options for buying service during or after a leave of absence.
What the cost will be
The cost to buy service for your leave of absence is based on:
- The number of months of service you want to buy
- Your current full-time gross monthly pensionable salary (or full-time equivalent, if you work part time)
- The current employee and employer contribution rates
Your employer will pay its share of an Employment Standards Act (ESA)–approved leave of absence.
For general leaves:
- Your employer will pay its share if the leave is less than 30 calendar days
- You are responsible for paying both the employee and employer share if the leave is more than 30 calendar days
Estimating the cost of a lump-sum payment
Sign in to My Account and use the personalized purchase cost estimator to find out how much it may cost to purchase your leave as a lump sum.
Estimating the cost of continuous contributions
If you’re planning to make continuous contributions to your pension during an ESA–approved leave, you can estimate your monthly cost by adding together the pension deduction on two biweekly pay stubs.
Additional cost considerations
- Since your payment cost is based on current salary and contribution rates, buying your service earlier may be less expensive
- If you are making continuous contributions, your cost may change slightly month to month with regular salary increases