Canada Life has enhanced its UK leave policy and benefits by offering additional time off for key life events and emergency back-up care to help its people look after loved ones when they are unable to.
From 1 January 2026, Canada Life colleagues can take up to 10 days of extra paid leave a year under its new ‘Being There Leave’ policy to be present at important events and support the people they care about.
Colleagues can also access a new company-funded ‘Back-Up Care’ benefit, enabling them to secure to five days of emergency care for loved ones through provider Bright Horizons.
These new benefits complement Canada Life’s existing family, holiday, bereavement, and sickness leave policies. They build on 2025 enhancements, which increased paid holiday to 30 days, maternity leave to 26 weeks, paternity and partner leave to 16 weeks, and introduced 10 days’ paid fertility treatment leave for colleagues and partners alongside additional time off for colleagues who experience pregnancy loss.
Being There Leave
Being There Leave allows colleagues to be there for the key moments in life that matter most to them, such as their wedding day, a graduation, a child’s sports day, first day at school or moving to university, or welcoming a new grandchild.
It’s also designed to help colleagues in situations that prevent them from working, such as taking a loved one or pet to a medical appointment or helping a family member with a difficult life event. It can also be used to provide emergency childcare when other arrangements fall through.
Back-Up Care
Canada Life’s Back-Up Care benefit provides UK colleagues with up to five days of emergency care with provider Bright Horizons to support last-minute caring needs for children, adults or pets when the unexpected happens or planned arrangements change. It offers:
- companionship on the day they can’t be there,
- a visitor check-in at the property to make sure a loved one is OK, and
- subsidised emergency help when existing arrangements change·
Nick Harding, Chief People Officer at Canada Life, commented:
“We believe that creating a flexible, compassionate workplace is essential to helping our colleagues be at their best and deliver for our customers. Our Life100+ research programme also shows that the boundaries between work, family, and retirement are shifting as people live and work for longer.
“Supporting loved ones during important life moments, or caring for family members, is a significant part of many of our colleagues’ lives. The introduction of Being There Leave and Back-Up Care reflects our ambition to help our colleagues balance these responsibilities with work, and to foster an environment that supports work-life balance through different stages of life.”
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Notes
Enquiries:
Press enquiries should be directed to:
Julie Hughes-Edwards, Canada Life, +44 7803 249343, julie.hughes-edwards@canadalife.co.uk
About Canada Life:
Canada Life is part of a group of companies controlled by Great-West Lifeco Inc., a Canadian headquartered, international financial services holding company with interests in life insurance, health insurance, retirement and investment services, asset management and reinsurance businesses. Through its subsidiary companies, Great-West Lifeco operates in Canada, the United States, and Europe. Great-West Lifeco trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GWO and is a member of the Power Corporation group of companies.
Canada Life Limited began operations in the United Kingdom (UK) in 1903 and provides UK individuals and businesses with a range of retirement, investment, insurance and wealth solutions. Canada Life offers individual annuities, pension de-risking solutions, home finance, estate planning and investment options, and workplace protection products.
Canada Life Limited (no.973271) is registered in England and Wales, authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority, and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Stonehaven UK Limited (no.05487702), trading as Canada Life, is registered in England and Wales and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Canada Life International Limited (no.033178C) and CLI Institutional Limited (no.108017C) are Isle of Man registered companies authorised and regulated by the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority. Canada Life International Assurance (Ireland) DAC (no. 440141) and Canada Life International Assurance (Ireland) DAC are authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
Canada Life Asset Management is the brand for investment management activities undertaken by Canada Life Asset Management Limited (no.3846821), Canada Life Limited and Canada Life European Real Estate Limited (no.03846823). Canada Life Asset Management Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Please note that while Canada Life Limited and Canada Life Asset Management Limited are regulated as stated above, property management and the provision of commercial mortgages are not regulated activities.