Can Employees Miss Work to Care for Well Kids Stuck at Home Due to COVID?

An employee says she can’t work for the next 2 weeks because the summer camp where she was planning to send her young kid has been closed due to COVID. Here’s what to consider in deciding how to respond:

Discipline: It’s illegal to discipline employees for missing work due to COVID.

Unpaid COVID Leave: In most jurisdictions, employees can take unpaid COVID leave to care for kids affected by school or daycare closures. Arguably, that would also cover summer camps.

Paid COVID Sick Leave: BC and Ontario employees now have 3 days’ paid sick leave for not just illness but other COVID reasons such as self-isolation, vaccination and caring for children with coronavirus or its symptoms. But staying home to care for well kids who are stuck at home because their camp is closed probably doesn’t qualify.

Accommodations: Human rights laws require schedule accommodations for childcare obligations. But an employee’s need to stay home must be more compelling than a personal preference.

Another Option: Let the employee bring her child to work, subject to clear ground rules to ensure safety and productivity.