OFA provided comments to the to the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) regarding a proposed Personal Long-Term Illness Leave under the Employment Standards Act (ESA).
OFA appreciates that a comprehensive range of job protected leaves of absence is necessary in modern, progressive workplace legislation; however, we also recognize there is a critical need to strike the right balance between providing for the needs of workers and the needs of employers to ensure business continuity in what is already a very challenging agricultural labour environment.
Rather than creating a new long-term leave for a ‘serious medical condition’, OFA recommends expanding the existing ‘critical illness leave’ to employees and align it with the Federal government’s Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefits.
Previous related OFA submissions:
September 5, 2018 – OFA letter to Minister Scott regarding the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017 (Bill 148)