Photo: CKRW file.
At the Start-up Canada Tour’s event in Whitehorse, Yukon’s Premier made an announcement regarding paid sick leave
YUKON – Premier Ranj Pillai announced a sick leave program targeting workers who are most likely to need to take unpaid time off.
The new Paid Sick Leave Rebate Program will offer workers and self-employed Yukoners up to 40 hours of paid sick leave per 12-month period at no cost to the employer.
The program covers all eligible workers earning less than or equal to the average Yukon private-sector wage of $33.94 per hour. The majority of employees who make less than this amount are likely to face financial difficulties if they take unpaid sick time.
The Yukon Government says the rebate program aims to:
– Provide financial stability to employees who must take time off work because of sickness or injury;
– Help keep people healthy in the Yukon;
– Encourage workers to stay home if they’re feeling unwell;
– Allow Yukon employers to provide more employee benefits without paying extra costs;
– Strengthen Yukon businesses’ competitiveness in the labour market; and,
– Help Yukon businesses attract and retain workers.
Sick days taken between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2025, are covered by the new Paid Sick Leave Rebate scheme.
The recently expired paid sick leave scheme, which was implemented in response to COVID-19, is now replaced. This new refund, which differs from the old one in that it does not just apply to anyone who misses work due to COVID-19, but also to any illness or injury that is not protected by another Act.
