ONTARIO ANNOUNCES PAID SICK LEAVE PROGRAM

Yesterday, the Ontario government announced that full-time and part-time workers in the province who need time off due to COVID-19, will be eligible to receive up to three paid days as part of a temporary sick leave program.

This measure will not come into effect until it is passed by the legislature

If it does, as expected, employers will be required to provide employees with up to three days of paid leave because of certain reasons related to COVID-19, including:

• going for a COVID-19 test
• staying home awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test
• being sick with COVID-19
• going to get vaccinated
• experiencing a side effect from a COVID-19 vaccination
• having been advised to self-isolate due to COVID-19 by an employer, medical practitioner or other authority
• taking care of a dependent who is:
  • sick with COVID-19 or has symptoms of COVID-19
  • self-isolating due to COVID-19

If the legislation passes, employers will be required to pay employees up to $200 a day for up to three days. The three days would not need to be taken consecutively.

This does not apply where employees already get paid sick leave from their employer.

Employers would be able to apply for a reimbursement of up to $200 per employee day taken, from the Ontario government. If the employee’s regular rate of pay is less than $200 day, the employer will only be eligible for a reimbursement of the employee’s regular rate of pay.

Although it is not yet officially in place, this program would be retroactive to April 19, 2021 and effective until September 25, 2021.

We will provide an update once it has passed into law.

For more details, and links to other employee benefits, please visit:  https://www.ontario.ca/page/covid-19-worker-income-protection-benefit

For all COVID related information, please see our previous Dealer Alerts at www.ucda.org/dealer-alerts/