Ontario will extend its temporary paid sick leave program by about eight months as the province continues to battle the spread of COVID-19.
The program, which offers up to three paid sick days per employee, will remain in effect until March 31, 2023. It was originally set to expire at the end of July.
In a news release issued Thursday, the government said eligible workers will continue to receive up to $200 a day if they need to be tested, vaccinated, self-isolate or care for a family member who is sick from COVID-19.
Doug Ford’s government first amended the Labor Standards Act in April 2021 to allow three paid sick days in an effort to limit the transmission of COVID-19 in essential workplaces. The program was supposed to be in effect for about six months, but has been extended multiple times.
The program remains temporary and specific to the new coronavirus. In December, Labor Minister Monte McNaughton said he was committed to offering three paid sick days during the pandemic.
“I’m going to keep my word and we’re going to make sure those paid sick days are there as long as COVID is here,” he said. “It’s front and center for me. It’s a priority. I will make sure workers have paid sick days throughout this pandemic.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Labor told CTV News Toronto that there are no further updates on whether or not the program will remain in place after the pandemic is declared endemic or will be included in the upcoming budget.
In 2018, the newly elected Ford government scrapped the Liberal provincial paid sick leave program, arguing that employers should give workers time off if they request it.
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