Employers will receive compensation for paid sick leave for sick employees
The program begins in British Columbia on Thursday, June 17, 2021.
On May 20, a law was passed that allows employees sick with coronavirus to stay home for up to three days without losing their wages. The law requires employers to pay employees their normal wages, with employers able to apply for reimbursement of up to $200 CAD per day, up to a maximum of three days per employee.
The compensation program is available to employers whose employees stay at home for the following reasons:
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COVID-19 diagnostics;
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waiting for the results of the coronavirus test;
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the need for self-isolation;
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the employer's decision to keep the employee at home because of the risk of infection.
To apply for compensation, employers must be registered on the WorkSafeBC portal and signed up for the WorkSafeBC online services. There, they must also complete a short online form with employee sick leave information. It can take up to 10 working days for the application to be processed and paid by wire transfer.
The government has also committed to establishing a permanent paid sick leave programme from 1 January 2022.
