Sick leave pay refers to the financial compensation received by an employee who is unable to work due to sickness.
How Does Pay Work During Sick Leave?
Pay for an employee on sick leave depends on the law and the type of sick leave.
The different types of sick leave include:
- Short-term sick leave (less than six months)
- Extended sick leave (more than six months)
- Long-term sick leave (more than three years)
- Ordinary sick leave
Depending on the law, an employee may or may not receive compensation according to the type of leave.
How Does Sick Leave Pay Work in Canada?
Employees under federal jurisdiction accumulate sick leave credits pro rata to their monthly working hours. For example, an employee who works 37.5 hours per week accumulates credits at a rate of 9.375 hours for each month during which they work 75 hours.
How Does Sick Leave Pay Work in Quebec?
In Quebec, if an employee has been working for the same employer for a least three months, they are entitled to two days of sick leave per calendar year in the following cases:
- An illness or accident that is not work-related
- Family obligations related to the care, health or education of their children
- Family obligations related to the role of substitute caregiver
- Organ or tissue donation
- In the case of domestic violence or a criminal act
Compensation is calculated in the same way as that for public holidays. Compensation is, therefore, 1/20 of the salary earned by an employee during the four full weeks of paid work preceding the day of sick leave.
What Is the Difference Between Paid and Unpaid Sick Leave?
When an employee benefits from paid sick leave, they receive salary compensation. When sick leave is unpaid, the worker receives no salary compensation.
