Ontario to end paid sick days program, lift some COVID-19 measures in LTC homes

Ontario is set to end a program that gave workers access to three paid sick days and lift some COVID-19 measures in long-term care homes.

In an emailed statement to CBC Toronto on Wednesday, the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development confirmed reporting by The Canadian Press that the temporary paid sick days program will wrap up by the end of this month.

"As a time-limited pandemic measure, the Ontario government introduced paid COVID-19 leave, a program designed to support people who needed to take time off work to isolate or get vaccinated," the statement said.

"Ontario has now achieved one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, and consistent with the sunset date for this program, it will expire effective March 31, 2023."

The news comes a day before the province is set to table its budget for this year.

According to The Canadian Press, a spokesperson for Premier Doug Ford said the program will not be replaced with another, but that the Progressive Conservative government will continue moving forward with its plan to provide portable health and dental coverage to workers without paid sick days.

That portable benefits program is intended to cover workers in the gig economy, retail and hospitality jobs who don't have benefits, and accommodate people who may change careers throughout their lives.

NDP Leader Marit Stiles said her party was pushing for 10 guaranteed paid sick days for all Ontarians plus an additional 14 government-funded paid sick days during a public health emergency.

"This government is no friend to Ontario workers," Stiles wrote in a statement. "Nobody in Ontario should have to go to work sick, or leave a sick child, because they can't afford not to."

The Decent Work and Health Network, a network of Ontario health providers who advocate for better employment conditions, have been pushing for permanent paid sick days before and during the pandemic.

"We are outraged that the government has not taken any concrete steps to provide life-saving, employer-paid sick days to workers in Ontario," said Dr. Bernard Ho, an emergency and family physician with the group, in an email.

"By ruling out the possibility of legislating at least 10 employer-paid sick days the Ford government has delivered another blow to Ontario's health-care system."

Ford's government first announced the temporary sick leave plan in the spring of 2021 after facing growing calls to bring in such a policy to minimize workplace spread of COVID-19.

Under the program, employers are reimbursed by the government for the paid leave days. Eligible workers can receive up to $200 per day for up to three days for pandemic-related absences like testing, vaccination, isolation or caring for relatives who are ill with COVID-19.