On April 28, 2021, the Ontario Government announced the COVID-19 Putting Workers First Act which requires employers to provide up to 3 paid sick days for COVID-19 related reasons including:
- COVID-19 testing
- Isolating while waiting for test results
- Illness due to COVID-19
- Vaccination appointments
- Side effects from the vaccination
- Self-isolation due to COVID-19 mandated by an employer, medical practitioner, or other authority
- Care of a dependent who is sick with COVID-19, has symptoms of COVID-19 or is required to self-isolate
If the legislation is passed, employers may be required to pay employees up to $200.00 per day for each of the 3 sick days. Employers can apply for reimbursement of the paid benefit from the Ontario Government equal to the lesser of the employee’s rate of pay or $200.00.
Eligibility is for those employees covered by the Employment Standards Act, 2000 who do not already have paid sick leave available through their current employment. Employers cannot mandate the provision of a sick note.
More information can be found at https://www.ontario.ca/page/covid-19-worker-income-protection-benefit
We remain committed to supporting our clients with timely communication of details as they become known. We are available to answer your questions and provide assistance specific to your workplace. Please contact us at 905-641-1551.