According to the information provided by the Government, those employees eligible to take the leave can take up to five (5) days off work for testing, vaccinations and side effects, self-isolation due to COVID-19 symptoms, or care for a loved one in any of these circumstances. Days off taken under this leave do not have to be taken consecutively.
Rather than having employees apply for the benefit, the program requires employers to apply online for assistance up to $600 per eligible employee.
The Manitoba Government states that employers who currently provide paid sick leave to their employees will not be eligible. Neither will employees who have exhausted any paid sick leave benefits provided by their employer, nor employees who work from home.
Employers who pay their eligible employees during this leave can apply for the financial assistance online by completing an application form beginning Friday May 14, 2021. The period covered by the program is retroactive from May 7, 2021 to September 25, 2021.
We will continue to monitor this program and provide further details as they become available.