In light of the recent escalation of and response to COVID-19, the Ontario government has announced its intention to develop new protections for Ontario workers who are required to take unpaid leave during self-isolation or quarantine periods, including potentially removing the requirement on an employee to obtain a doctor’s note.

In a statement issued today, March 15, 2020, Premier Doug Ford said he had directed government to draft legislation responding to the COVID-19 outbreak that will include measures to ensure employers provide “protected leave”.^[1]

The scope of the proposed legislation remains unknown. Further, it is uncertain when the proposed legislation will come into effect as the provincial legislature is not currently sitting and proceedings are not anticipated to resume until March 23^rd at the earliest.

Our group will continue to monitor these developments and will provide an update as soon as details are released.   In the interim, we remain available 24/7 to assist as needed, so please do not hesitate to contact any member of our team.