It looks like a provincial paid sick leave program is not coming to Ontario.
Labour Minister Monte McNaughton said that instead of their own program, which Premier Doug Ford said was coming last week, they want Ottawa to double the federal program to $1,000 per week with Ontario footing the increased costs.
In response, federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says that the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) is there for Canadians who fall through the cracks because they don’t have a regular employer or because their province doesn’t have their own program in place.
Freeland adds, however, that Ottawa will be there to support Ontario when they’re ready to mandate sick leave in provincially regulated businesses.
As it stands right now, the only available support is through the federal government and only those missing work due to COVID-19 and those missing more than half a workweek currently qualify.
Paid sick leave has been recommended by experts as people with symptoms keep going in to work out of fear of not being able to pay the bills.
