On April 29, 2021, the Ontario Government will introduce the Putting Workers First Act, which would require employers to provide employees with up to three days of paid leave because of certain reasons related to including:
- going for a test
- staying home awaiting the results of a test
- being sick with
- going to get vaccinated
- experiencing a side effect from a vaccination
- having been advised to self-isolate due to by an employer, medical practitioner or other authority
- taking care of a dependent who is:
- sick with or has symptoms of
- self-isolating due to
If the legislation is passed, 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.
Eligibility
If the legislation is passed, the three days of paid leave would only be available to employees who:
- are covered by the Employment Standards Act (ESA) (independent contractors or federally regulated employees would not qualify for these days).
- do not already receive paid sick time through their employer
Doctor’s note not required
Employers cannot require an employee to provide a certificate from a doctor or nurse as evidence.
Employer reimbursement for paid leave
If the legislation is passed, eligible 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 reimbursement of the employee’s regular rate of pay.
Eligible employers would need to make their application for reimbursement within 120 days of the paid leave.
