On April 29, 2021, the Ontario government announced the COVID-19 Worker Income Protection Benefit (WIPB) which includes:
- up to three days of paid infectious disease emergency leave under the Employment Standards Act (ESA) for employees who have to take time off work because of certain reasons related to COVID-19, and
- an employer reimbursement program.
Paid infectious disease emergency leave was originally set to end September 25, 2021. It will now continue until December 31, 2021.
Eligible employers are entitled to be reimbursed the amount of infectious disease emergency leave pay that they paid to their employees, up to $200 per employee per day taken. Eligible employers must make their application within 120 days of the date the employer paid the employee, or by April 30, 2022, whichever is earlier.
For more information visit Ontario.ca/COVIDworkerbenefit or call the Ontario COVID-19 Worker Income Protection Benefit Information Centre at 1-888-999-2248 (TTY: 1-866-567-8893).
If you need help understanding your employment standards rights and responsibilities, you can:
- Visit the infectious disease emergency leave chapter in Your guide to the Employment Standards Act at Ontario.ca/ESAguide.
- Call the Employment Standards Information Centre at 1-800-531-5551 or TTY (for hearing impaired) at 1-866-567-8893. Information is available in many languages.
- Get advice from a lawyer.
