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, you are usually required to pay the whole cost (unless you have a separate agreement with your employer).
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