COVID-19 Putting Workers First Act, 2021 - paid leave extended to Dec. 31, 2021

Daily Occasional Teachers may have access the three paid days of leave under Bill 248:

A qualified employee would be entitled to a paid leave of absence (not to exceed $200 per day) under Bill 284 because of one or more of the following reasons:

·         the employee is under individual medical investigation, supervision or treatment for COVID-19, including being vaccinated or recovering from vaccination;

·         the employee is acting in accordance with a section 22 or section 35 order under the Health Protection and Promotion Act that relates to COVID-19 (e.g., their workplace is shut down by a Public Health Unit and they are directed to self-isolate, etc.);

·         the employee is in quarantine or isolation as a result of information or direction from a Public Health Unit official, a qualified medical practitioner, Telehealth Ontario, the Government of Ontario, the Government of Canada, a municipal council or board of health;

·         the employee is given a direction by their employer in response to a concern that the employee may expose others in the workplace to COVID-19; and

·         the employee is providing care for a family member (i.e., dependent) who is under medical investigation, is receiving treatment or is under quarantine/isolation due to COVID-19.

Dependents include: 

·         employee’s spouse;

·         parent, step-parent, foster parent of the employee or employee’s spouse;

·         child, step-child, foster child of the employee or employee’s spouse;

·         child under legal guardianship of the employee or employee’s spouse;

·         brother, step-brother, sister or step-sister of the employee;

·         grandparent, step-grandparent, grandchild or step-grandchild of the employee or employee’s spouse;

·         brother-in-law, step-brother-in-law, sister-in-law or step-sister-in-law of the employee;

·         son-in-law or daughter-in-law of the employee or employee’s spouse;

·         uncle or aunt of the employee or employee’s spouse;

·         nephew or niece of the employee or employee’s spouse;

·         spouse of the employee’s grandchild, uncle, aunt, nephew or niece;

·         a person who considers the employee to be like a family member; and/or

·         any individual prescribed as a family member.

Application for payment under this program is made to the Employer.

Longer Term Absences due to Covid-19 

The Government of Canada currently offers the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CSRB). 

Information regarding the CSRB can be accessed here: CRSB