News Releases

News Release - Manitoba

April 16, 2021

Manitobans Reminded of Available Support and Job Protection When Leave is Required Due to COVID-19

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Income Support and Job Protection Ensured for Time Missed When Dealing With the Effects of the Pandemic: Fielding

Help is available to Manitobans who must miss work because of a positive COVID-19 result and are not eligible for paid leave through their workplace, Finance Minister Scott Fielding and Dr. Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer, said today.

“We need to ensure Manitobans are staying home when sick, and know what resources are available to them if they or a family member test positive for COVID-19,” said Fielding. “Our government has a job protection leave program for workers affected by COVID-19 and there are also federal programs Manitobans can access. We know that Manitobans want to get to work and provide for their families, but we need to make sure that we stay home when sick to slow the spread of COVID-19.”

Last year, Manitoba introduced a temporary job-protected leave to the Employment Standards Code for employees who are unable to work due to circumstances related to the pandemic. Employees can take an unpaid job-protected leave:
• to complete quarantine, isolation or self-isolation;
• when under medical examination, supervision or treatment due to COVID-19;
• to comply with public health orders;
• to provide care, support or assistance to a family member as a result of COVID-19 including school or day-care closures;
• to reduce the employee’s exposure to others, in consultation with their employer;
• if the employee is directly affected by travel restrictions imposed by public health orders; and
• if the employee has an underlying condition, is undergoing treatment or has contracted an illness that makes them more susceptible to COVID-19, in consultation with their employer.

For more information, visit https://www.gov.mb.ca/labour/standards/doc,public_health_emergency_leave_COVID-19,factsheet.html.

The Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba (WCB) also provides coverage for Manitoba workers with work-related injuries and illnesses. WCB covers employees who contract COVID-19 because of an exposure arising out of and in the course of their employment. Each claim is determined on a case-by-case basis. If an employee thinks that he or she has contracted COVID-19 at work, they should inform their employer and file a claim with WCB. For more information about WCB, visit www.wcb.mb.ca/how-the-wcb-is-responding-to-covid-19#employers.

Manitobans can also apply for paid leave through the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB), which provides income support to employed or self-employed individuals who are unable to work because they are sick or need to self-isolate due to COVID-19, or have an underlying health condition that puts them at greater risk of getting COVID-19. They may be eligible if they are unable to work at least 50 per cent of their scheduled work week because of self-isolation, are sick or may have COVID-19, were advised to self-isolate due to COVID-19, or have an underlying health condition that puts them at greater risk of getting COVID-19. They can apply for coverage after the first one-week period they are applying for has ended. For more information, visit www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/benefits/recovery-sickness-benefit.html.

The Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit also provides income support to employed and self-employed individuals who are unable to work because they must care for their child under 12 years old or a family member who needs supervised care due to COVID-19. For more information, visit www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/benefits/recovery-caregiving-benefit.html.

“Our contact tracing indicates that for many Manitobans, missing out on work and pay is a major barrier to seeking immediate testing, as many are not able to take an extended leave from work for various reasons including job security and loss of income,” said Roussin. “One of the most important things Manitobans can do to halt the spread of the virus, particularly as variants of concern become prevalent in our province, is to stay home when sick to avoid spreading the virus to others. That’s why we want to make sure Manitobans know there is support they can access so they can focus on keeping themselves and their neighbours safe.”

Turnaround times for receiving a COVID-19 test results have consistently been under 24 hours in the last month, which means that Manitobans and their family will not have to spend much time self-isolating while awaiting a COVID-19 test result, noted Roussin.

If a result is negative, the household can return to daily activities while the person with symptoms should continue to self-isolate until symptoms have been gone for 24 hours. Should the result be positive, the entire household should continue to self-isolate and await further direction from a public health nurse. At this point, individuals and their household may be eligible for the programming outlined above.

For more information on COVID-19 testing and supports, visit www.manitoba.ca/covid19/testing/.

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