Employer Update: Paid COVID-19 Leave Extended In Ontario

As discussed in our previous article, on April 29^th, 2021, the Ontario government introduced the COVID-19 Putting Workers First Act, which mandates paid sick days related to COVID-19. This program, which was previously slated to end on July 31, 2022, has now been extended to March 31, 2023.

The COVID-19 Putting Workers First Act, an amendment to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 ("ESA") requires that Ontario employers provide employees with up to three days of paid infectious disease emergency leave ("IDEL") if the employee cannot work for reasons related to COVID-19. These days do not need to be taken consecutively. Workers are entitled to up to $200 per day, without the need for a medical note, for the following reasons related to COVID-19: