Government of Canada proposes 10 days of paid medical leave for federally-regulated employees
Killian McParland and Emily Murray
On Friday, November 26, 2021, the Liberal federal government moved to fulfill its campaign promise to provide 10 days of paid medical leave of absence (also referred to as “sick days”) for all federally-regulated employees within 100 days of being re-elected.
Bill C-3 would do so by amending the Canada Labour Code to remove the ability to use paid personal leave for illness and injury and replace it with up to 10 paid days of medical leave.
As drafted, an employee would earn one day of paid medical leave after each month of employment, up to a maximum of 10 days in a calendar year. The paid leave could be taken in one or more periods, but the employer may require that each period be taken as at least one day. Employers would be able to require a medical certificate for any medical leave with pay (but for medical leaves without pay, only where it is at least three days). Bill C-3 may change before it is passed and additional rules may follow in supporting regulations.
After introducing Bill C-3, the Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan advised that the government will engage in consultations with federally-regulated employers and workers to better understand the impact of these changes on their workplaces and local realities.
While these legislative amendments would only impact federally-regulated employers and employees, paid medical leave remains a topical issue in the ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Just two days before the federal government’s announcement, the British Columbia government announced that it would be amending its provincial employment standards legislation to provide a minimum of five days of paid sick leave per year as of January 1, 2022.
This will remain an area to watch for all Canadian employers.
This client update is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. If you have any questions about the above, please contact a member of our Labour and Employment group.
Click here to subscribe to Stewart McKelvey Thought Leadership.
Archive
By Alanna Waberski and Isaac McLellan On September 21, 2022, the Government of New Brunswick released its renewed climate change action plan which aims to help the province adapt to climate change while steering New…
Read MoreCourt upholds mandatory vaccine policy – Placing employee on unpaid leave not constructive dismissal
Mark Tector and Ben Currie While there have been a number of arbitration decisions on the subject, Parmar v Tribe Management Inc., 2022 BCSC 1675 appears to be the first reported civil court decision to…
Read MoreSadira Jan, Dave Randell, and James Gamblin Nova Scotia (“NS”) and Newfoundland and Labrador (“NL”) are positioned to become international leaders in offshore wind and green hydrogen. Each province has expansive offshores areas, abundant wind…
Read MoreKevin Landry and Nikolas Shymko The Cannabis Act came into force on October 17, 2018, putting in place framework for controlling the sale, possession, production and distribution of cannabis. The Cannabis Act requires the Minister…
Read MoreBrendan Sheridan and Brittany Trafford. Many events and workplaces started to feel more normal over the summer as we emerged from over two years of restrictions and COVID-19 pandemic precautions. However, as people line up…
Read MoreBy Level Chan and Shaniqwa Thomas The Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities (CAPSA) has extended its deadline for submissions to October 14, 2022 on the following draft guidelines: Approach to Risk Management Guideline; Environmental,…
Read MoreBy Nancy Rubin, K.C. and Levi Parsche What happens if a person accidentally makes payment to a hacker, instead of to the person they actually owe money? Should they have to pay again? In the…
Read MoreG. Grant Machum and Ben Currie On Tuesday, September 13, 2022, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared a federal holiday on Monday, September 19, 2022 to honour the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Minister of Labour…
Read MoreKevin Landry, Matt Jacobs Shareholder agreements are a key part of corporate governance. Nova Scotia is unique from other Canadian jurisdictions because the Companies Act (Nova Scotia) doesn’t contemplate ‘Unanimous Shareholder Agreements’ as other corporate…
Read MoreBy Kathleen Leighton Last year, Canada boasted record admissions of permanent residents, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, and has an even more ambitious target for 2022 – namely, to welcome 431,000 permanent residents to the country.…
Read More