Ontario's NDP is calling for an emergency bill for paid sick days to help prevent the coronavirus from spreading.
Employment Lawyer and host of 'Employment Law' on CKTB, Howard Levitt says the bill needs to be more specific to avoid being abused.
Levitt says if you have recently travelled to a 'high risk' area, and you are showing symptoms of the virus, your employer should support you staying home while tests are underway.
He says if you knowingly had the virus and went to work, you could be sued for negligence if others catch it.
Levitt says if your employer made you come into work, your employer would than be liable.
His advice is to tell your employer about your travel history, and if it's warranted, the employer should respect a 14-day self isolation.
Levitt says you should be paid for that period, and if your employer attempts to fire you, you are protected under the Human Rights' Code.
He says the government will be shelling out a lot of money to contain the virus, and paying for residents to self isolate is less expensive than spreading the disease.
Most employees have the right to take up to three days of unpaid job-protected leave each calendar year due to a personal illness, injury or medical emergency.
If your employment contract provides a greater right or benefit than the sick leave standard, then the terms of the contract apply instead of the standard.
You can hear 'Employment Law' on 610 CKTB Sunday's at 1pm. Click here to hear the full interview with Levitt.