Ontario Labour Minister Monte McNaughton says the Province is legislating three paid sick days for part and full-time workers impacted by COVID-19 to be paid through the WSIB.
It will be called the Worker Income Protection Benefit and it will reimburse 100 percent of an employee’s wage up to $200 per day. The Province is also topping up the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) program to $1,000. This program will be retroactive to April 19, 2021 and effective until September 25, 2021, the date the CRSB will expire.
“If workers need to take a mental health day related to COVID-19, if you’re a mom or a dad out there who has a son or a daughter who has symptoms and isn’t feeling well, you can stay at home as well and use one of these three days,” said McNaughton. “Furthermore, we’re really excited with the openness of the Federal Government to work together to top-up payments for workers for $1,000 a week for four weeks.”
Sick workers or those who are experiencing symptoms, or who need to get vaccinated or who have COVID-19-related mental health issues can qualify for the benefit.
“Ontario is very proud of those working throughout this unprecedented time to keep essential parts of our economy and local communities open through the pandemic,” says Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board. “The government of Canada and Ontario have done a historic job delivering the Safe Restart Agreement last year. New provincial funding would allow eligible individuals to receive a total of $1000 per week through the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit program if missing work because of COVID-19. Ontario looks forward to continuing discussions to secure Ottawa’s commitment to administer the program with the top-up to all Ontario applicants. We believe that this is the simplest and fastest way to increase program uptake and make this program more effective for those people who need this program most.”
If an eligible worker learns that they must isolate for longer than 50 percent of the time they would have otherwise worked for the week, whether because of a positive COVID-19 test or risk of exposure, they may apply for the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit if they haven’t taken a paid leave day under this proposal.
This latest measure builds on other existing provincial supports like job-protected leave and access to isolation facilities, making Ontario’s approach the most comprehensive COVID-19 sick leave in the country.
Employers and their workers can call a dedicated COVID-19 Sick Days Information Centre hotline at 1-888-999-2248 or visit Ontario.ca/COVIDworkerbenefit to get more information and updates about the proposed Ontario COVID-19 paid leave days.