The Ontario Government announced on December 8, 2011 that it is introducing new
legislation to help caregivers by providing for a Family Caregiver Leave.

Taken from the Ministry of Labour's website, the key facts concerning the leave are:

• The Family Caregiver Leave, if passed, would build on the existing Family Medical Leave by amending the Employment Standards Act to provide up to 8 weeks of unpaid job leave for employees to provide care and support to a sick or injured family member.
• The Family Caregiver Leave would be separate from the current Family Medical Leave which is available when a family member has a serious medical condition with a significant risk of death occurring within 26 weeks.

• Under the Family Caregiver Leave, caregivers would be eligible for the leave to care for:

  • Their spouse.

  • A parent, step-parent, or foster parent of the employee or the employee's spouse.

  • A child, step-child, or foster child of the employee or the employee's spouse.

  • A grandparent, step-grandparent, grandchild, or step-grand-child of the employee or the employee's spouse.

  • The spouse of a child of the employee.

  • The employee's brother or sister.

  • A relative of the employee who is dependent on the employee for care or assistance.

• To be eligible for the proposed new Family Caregiver Leave, an employee would be required to have a medical certificate from a qualified health practitioner stating that the employee's family member has a serious medical condition. The employee would have to produce the medical certificate if requested by their employer.
• Ontario is also calling on its federal partners to extend Employment Insurance to those who take advantage of Family Caregiver Leave, just as they do when Ontarians take Family Medical Leave.
• The legislation is Bill 30, Family Caregiver Leave Act (Employment Standards Amendment), 2011.