As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to place pressure on frontline healthcare and social service workers, the Ontario government announced on Saturday, April 25, 2020, that temporary pandemic pay is available for eligible frontline workers.
Pandemic Pay Amount
Eligible frontline workers will be given an additional $4 per hour worked on top of their regular wages. Frontline workers who work over 100 hours per month will also be given a lump sum payment of $250 per month for four months.
When Does Pandemic Pay Come into Effect?
Pandemic pay will be effective for a period of 16 weeks. Pandemic pay will apply retroactively from April 24, 2020 and will continue until August 13, 2020.
Who is Eligible?
The Ontario government has released a list of eligible workers in health care, long term care, social services, and corrections facilities. The list includes support workers, nurses, maintenance personnel, food services, and other key staff providing care and assistance in eligible workplaces (full list provided below).
The list notably excludes respiratory therapists and paramedics. Unions representing both groups of workers have made their frustrations known to the Office of the Premier which may lead to further amendments to the list of eligible frontline workers.
Full List of Eligible Workplaces and Workers
- Health care and long-term care
Eligible workplaces
- Acute hospitals
- Long-term care homes (including private, municipal and not-for-profit homes)
- Licensed retirement homes
- Home and community care
Eligible workers
- Personal support workers
- Registered nurses
- Registered practical nurses
- Nurse practitioners
- Attendant care workers
- Auxiliary staff, including: Porters, cook, custodian, housekeeping, laundry facilities and other key workers.
- Developmental services workers
- Mental health and addictions workers
- Social services
Eligible workplaces
- Homes supporting people with developmental disabilities
- Intervenor residential sites
- Indigenous healing and wellness facilities/shelters
- Shelters for survivors of gender-based violence and human trafficking
- Youth justice residential facilities
- Licensed children’s residential sites
- Directly operated residential facility ― Child and Parent Resource Institute
- Emergency shelters
- Supportive housing facilities
- Respite/drop-in centres
- Temporary shelter facilities, such as re-purposed community centres or arenas
- Hotels/motels used for self-isolation and/or shelter overflow
Eligible workers
- Direct support workers (e.g. developmental service workers, staff in licensed children’s residential sites, in-take/outreach workers)
- Clinical staff
- Housekeeping staff
- Security staff
- Administration personnel
- Maintenance staff
- Food service workers
- Nursing staff
- Corrections
Eligible workplaces
Adult correctional facilities and youth justice facilities in Ontario
Eligible workers
- Correctional officers
- Youth services officers
- Nurses
- Healthcare staff
- Social workers
- Food service
- Maintenance staff
- Programming personnel
- Administration personnel
- Institutional liaison officers
- TRILCOR personnel
- Native inmate liaison officers
- Chaplains
The full list can also be accessed in the following government news release.
If you have any questions regarding this benefit provided by the Ontario government, please contact a member of the Dentons Employment team in Toronto or in Ottawa.
