By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
HALDIMAND—The government of Ontario has responded to the public outcry for paid sick days, announcing new legislation that will provide employees with limited sick leave during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The legislation, officially known as the COVID-19 Income Protection Benefit Program, grants employees up to three sick days if they are feeling ill, with payments to be retro-active to April 19, 2021. Under the new plan, employers will be expected to make the initial payments to sick employees, with the government then reimbursing them for up to $200 a day per employee.
The Haldimand Press posted a poll on the topic, asking the public for their responses. The 
responses overwhelmingly said the measures are not enough, with 69 of 97 votes. In comparison, 13 voters approved of the program as is, 10 voters felt that employees should only be entitled to 1-2 paid sick days, four were undecided, and one voter believed employees should not be entitled to paid sick days.
Haldimand MPP Toby Barret voted against a sick-days motion brought forth by the Liberals earlier in the week, but threw his support behind the plan pushed forward by the Ford administration.
“Three days and up to $200 per day is a positive step to ensure workers can still support their families,” said Barrett. “Anyone who requires being off work for more than three days can apply to the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB), which provides up to four weeks leave. We have also offered to provide funding to the federal government to double CRSB payments, which would see eligible individuals receive $1,000 per week.”
“As a Conservative MPP, I rarely vote for bills brought forward by non-government members,” explained Barrett in response to why he voted against previous sick-days motions in recent memory. “We have heard a great deal about the bill voted upon Monday, but I wonder how many people have read it? The devil is always in the details. A government plan ensures we are doing the very best for the people of Ontario – workers, their families, as well as their employer.”
Opposition party leaders supported the legislation but called on the government to up the total allotted days to 10, based on the advice of public health experts, with NDP leader Andrea Horwath calling the bill “pitifully inadequate.”
Barrett disagrees with the critics: “I think what the government is offering, as we continue to work with the federal government, is fair as workers can transition from a provincial to federal program. We have long advocated for the federal government to enhance the CRSB to better protect Ontarians, and if we can expand the program, we will have a sick leave package we can all feel good about.”
The Haldimand Press reached out to the community on social media for their opinion of the new program.
Mark Gilbey of Dunnville responded: “It’s taxpayer funded…. It’s also temporary. Those are the real issues, not if people think others deserve paid sick days. We know it’s the right thing to do because medical studies show when people are sick, they should stay home.”
“This is not enough,” added Shannon Moyer-Nolan, also of Dunnville. “Public Health quarantine period is 14 days. This program will be managed by WSIB. What about employers that do not have WSIB coverage? Was this thought about? People sick with COVID or told to isolate need to have the entire time covered so they don’t worry about food or shelter.”
“Not enough. This is Ford’s response to backlash now that the Conservative Party has the death of a 13-year-old girl on their hands and countless other people,” said Caledonia resident Matt Betz, referring to Victoria Viegas from Brampton, one of the youngest COVID-related deaths in the country after her father caught the virus while at his job as a warehouse worker.
Mary Wilkinson shared, “I had COVID and was locked in for 14 days for myself, plus an additional week for my workplace. I lost three weeks of work. Three days are nice but…”
Ben Tucci of Dunnville agrees with the need for the program, but believes employers should be given incentives, such as reductions “in costly red tape,” to provide the program themselves. He explained, “As soon as it becomes a government program and financed by taxpayers, it is almost always mismanaged, and the taxpayers (you and I) end up footing the bill for the mismanagement. If the intent is to provide immediate relief until something is done via employers, then I can support the government stepping in this way.”
Dan McDonald agreed with Tucci: “Support our workers that make the gears of our economy turn. Don’t pander to big business. If they can afford big bonus payments to upper management, they can afford paid sick days.”
