Chamber Supports Temporary Paid Sick Program that is Paid for by the Government for the Duration of the Pandemic

(Toronto – April 22, 2021) – Today, Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce released the following statement reiterating the Chamber’s Position on Paid Sick Days:

“Our position is that business, particularly small businesses, simply cannot afford the additional financial responsibility to fund sick leave at this time, which is why we support the notion of a temporary paid sick program that is paid for by the government for the duration of the pandemic.

“Ensuring people during a pandemic can afford to stay home is the right thing to do – both morally and economically. When a worker protects themselves, they are protecting their colleagues, their employer, safeguarding the business, and the wider community by extension.

“The program offered through the federal government has specific eligibility criteria to qualify to receive it and has processing delays to receive payment after applying. This makes it very difficult for low-income households, that are reliant on their weekly income to make ends meet. A paid sick day, on the other hand, is a benefit that does not cause you to lose take-home income, and there is no application required or interruption or reduction in income.

“We would like to see both orders of government work together to find a solution for Ontarians that effectively addresses the gaps being experienced by workers with the current federal program.”

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About the Ontario Chamber of Commerce
For more than a century, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has been the independent, non-partisan, indispensable partner of Ontario business. The OCC’s mission is to support economic growth in Ontario by defending business priorities at Queen’s Park on behalf of its network’s diverse 60,000 members.

For more information, please contact:
Ceara Copps – Edwards
Manager, Public Affairs
cearacoppsedwards@occ.ca| Mobile: (647) 936-6734