On November 26, 2021, the Government of Canada introduced legislation that will amend the Canada Labour Code to provide ten days of paid sick leave per year to workers in the federally-regulated private sector.

The Government of Canada has expressed an intention to consult with federally-regulated employers and workers towards the implementation of this legislation, and to convene with provinces, territories and other interested stakeholders to develop a national action plan to legislate paid sick leave across the country, while respecting provincial-territorial jurisdiction.

This legislation follows the Government of Canada’s 2019 decision to put in place three days of paid personal leave for federally-regulated workers and the Government’s pandemic-era introduction of the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit for workers without employer-paid sick leave.