Ontario extends pandemic paid sick leave benefits

Ontario is extending pandemic paid sick leave into 2022 as cases continue to rise in the province. They were originally set to expire on December 31.

The program will be in place until at least July 31, 2022. To date, the paid sick days have been accessed by more than 235,000 people, according to the province. The average number of days off used by people accessing the program is two.

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The pandemic paid sick leave was introduced in April. It mandates employers provide three paid sick days, up to $200 per day, to employees who wouldn’t otherwise have paid time off.

Employees can use the paid sick leave to get vaccinated, self-isolate, get a COVID-19 test, or care for a sick family member.

On November 24, Doug Ford’s government voted against making the 10 paid sick days permanent.