I am Nadia Zaman, Associate at Rudner Law, and this Vlog (or video blog) reviews what you need to know about Personal Emergency Leave in Ontario.
Prior to January 1st, 2018, employers with 50 or more employees were obligated to provide employees with ten unpaid “Personal Emergency” days. Bill 148 eliminated the 50 employee threshold, and introduced a new requirement that the first two days of the ten-day entitlement be paid.
In order to be eligible to receive the two paid days, employees need only be employed for one week. If a personal emergency day is to be taken in the first week of employment, then that is taken from the eight unpaid days that the employee has available to them.
While Bill 148 states that an employer can require an employee to provide evidence “reasonable in the circumstances” that they are entitled to take Personal Emergency Leave, it also expressly prohibits an employer from requiring an employee to provide a certificate from a qualified health practitioner as evidence of his or her entitlement to take the leave.
For more information about the sweeping changes that Bill 148 has introduced (and will introduce) to employment standards in the province of Ontario, you can download our free ebook on Bill 148.
If you are an employer with an existing policy in place, you can contact us to review and update your policy so that it meets the new requirements. Similarly, if you are an employer without an existing policy in place, we can assist you by drafting and implementing a policy to meet the new requirements.
On the other hand, if you are an employee, you can contact us to ensure that you are getting what you are entitled to.
Thanks for tuning in.