Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development Monte McNaughton announced paid sick leave for Ontario, April 28, 2021. Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development Monte McNaughton announced paid sick leave for Ontario, April 28, 2021.
Windsor

Province to legislate three paid sick days

Over a year into the global pandemic, the provincial government will introduce legislation that would mandate three paid sick days for Ontario workers and double the payments for the federal work program.

The Ontario COVID-19 Worker Income Protection Benefit would double the funding through the federal program, the Canadian Recovery Sickness Benefit, to $1,000 a week for four weeks. This would be in effect until September 25.  The top-up still needs to be approved by the federal government.

“Our government has long advocated for the federal government to enhance the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit program to better protect the people of Ontario, especially our tireless essential workers,” said Labour Minister Monte McNaughton. “It is a tremendously positive step that the federal government has signaled their willingness to continue discussions on the CRSB. Now we can fix the outstanding gap in the federal program so workers can get immediate support and can stay home when needed."

The government will also introduce legislation that would allow employees to take three days off of work related to COVID-19.

“This will help those workers who have to stay home and self-isolate if they are sick. If workers need to take a mental health day related to COVID-19, if your mom or a dad who has a son or a daughter who has symptoms and isn’t feeling well, you can stay home,” said McNaughton.

Through the program, the employer would pay for the sick days and be reimbursed by the provincial government. The leave would be available to employees who are covered by the Employment Standards Act and do not already have paid sick leave through their employer. A doctor’s note would not be required to access these days.

This program will be retroactive to April 19, 2021, and effective until September 25, 2021, the date the CRSB is set to expire.

The legislation will be introduced on Thursday.

NDP leader Andrea Horwath said the legislation is too little too late.

“In the year it took the government to capitulate on paid sick days, 455,000 people were infected and nearly 8,000 died of COVID-19. This action is coming far too late. Too late to stop COVID-19 from getting out of control. Too late for workers who have already gotten sick,” said Horwath.

The NDP is pushing for a bill that would establish permanent paid sick days plus 14 government-funded paid sick days during a pandemic or infectious disease emergency.

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