Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has drafted proposed regulations for paid medical leave of 10 sick days in the Canada Gazette (Part 1, Vol 156, No 29).  This applies to persons employed in federally regulated carriers.

The 30-day consultation period ends August 15, 2022. Prior to its publication, trucking associations and Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) voiced their concerns regarding the unequal financial impact the drafted regulations will have on the trucking sector and the increased pressure it will put on the Canadian supply chain by further worsening labour shortages. The CTA will provide ESDC with their response within the consultation period. Other technical challenges with the proposal will also be raised by CTA, including the fact that Driver Inc. organizations whose operations are modeled after non-compliance, will not follow these new rules.

The new paid medical leave provisions will provide employees with 3 days of medical leave with pay after 30 days of continuous employment. Employees will earn one further day at the start of each month after completing one month of continuous employment, up to a maximum of 10 days per calendar year. Any days of medical leave with pay that an employee does not take in a calendar year will carry forward to the next calendar year and each day carried over reduces the number of days that can be earned in that next year by one.

Paid medical leave is expected to come into force on December 1, 2022. Read the proposed amendments here.