Source: cp24 Last week, Premier Doug Ford promised that a paid sick leave program for Ontario employees would be announced soon. On Tuesday, Ontario Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said she couldn’t confirm whether details would be released in the coming days.
Critics of the federal program claim it is insufficient because it only provides sick workers with up to $500 per week and requires them to work without pay while their application is processed. Over the last year, the opposition parties have introduced legislation or motions calling for a paid sick leave program 21 times.
The federal government has stated that it will improve the Canada Recovery and Sickness Benefit (CRSB), which currently provides only $500 for up to five sick days per week for those who require more than a week off work. In one of its first acts after taking office in 2018, the Ford government repealed a sick leave policy instituted by the previous provincial Liberal government. The Canadian Health Coalition has urged the federal government to improve the 2010 Canadian Sickness Benefits Act. On Wednesday, Ontario House of Commons Speaker Paul Calandra announced that improvements to the Canadian program will be unveiled “in the next couple of days.” “This is something the Ford government should have done a long, long time ago,” said Andrea Horwath, leader of the Ontario NDP. “This isn’t rocket science. We currently have a bill in the legislature that has been there since December to do just that. It is possible that the government will pass it today” she stated.
