Employment may not be denied or made conditional upon enrolment in a benefit or similar plan, which makes a distinction based on a Code ground. The general rule of non-discrimination in employment applies to pension plans, benefit plans and terms of group insurance except where reasonable and genuine distinctions or exclusions are based on age, marital status, family status or sex.
An employee with a disability can be treated differently in a life insurance or benefit plan where a pre-existing disability increases the risk to a high level. An employer must compensate an employee with a disability if the employee is excluded from an employee benefit, pension or superannuation plan or fund, or a contract of group insurance between an insurer and the employer. The payment should be the same as the amount contributed to the insurer for an employee without a disability.
As a rule, the right to receive benefits under disability plans ends when you are on pregnancy or parental leave. But if your employer offers disability benefits to employees who are off on other kinds of leaves, such as education leaves or sabbaticals, they are required by law to pay the benefits to people on pregnancy leave and parental leave. Check with your employer for more information.