After months of public pressure and an unsuccessful attempt to
partner with the federal government to top up its Canada Recovery
Sickness Benefit (the CRSB), the Ontario government has announced
that it is launching its own sick pay program, which it is calling
the Ontario COVID-19 Worker Protection Benefit Program (the WBP),
via the COVID-19 Putting Workers First Act.
This program will provide eligible Ontario employees with up to
three days of paid sick leave in the period between April 19, 2021
and September 25, 2021. Employees will receive up to $200 per day
in sick pay from their employers for days missed due to illness
during this period. Employees will also be eligible for sick pay
under the WBP if they take time off work to be vaccinated or are
required to self-isolate due to potential exposure to COVID-19.
Although the provincial government has not yet released draft
regulations setting out the details of the WBP, initial reports
indicate that the three sick
