Representative image of Ontario Injured Military Reservists by Mert Kahveci on unsplash
Toronto/CMEDIA: The Ontario government has introcued a new legislation that, if passed, would guarantee job-protected leave for injured military reservists by facilitating thier return to their civilian jobs after deployment, even if they need additional time off to recover from physical or mental injuries, a news release said.
Of about 27,000 Reserve Force members in the Canadian Forces, about 11,000 live in Ontario.
Nearly one in seven of the Canadian 40,000 soldiers deployed in Afghanistan developed a mental injury attributed to trauma from their mission.
“We often think of the physical injuries soldiers suffer, but mental trauma experienced is no less severe,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “The brave men and women in our Canadian Armed Forces put their lives on hold to protect our freedom. They deserve to know that their job will not only be protected when they’re away but also should they need time to recover from physical or mental injuries.”
The proposed legislation would also make Ontario among the first in Canada to allow reservists to respond and deploy to domestic emergencies including search and rescue operations, recovery from national disasters such as flood relief, and military aid following ice storms even if they just started a new job.
Similarly the eligibility critera for job-protected leave would also be applicable to reservists deployed abroad or upgrading their military skills after just two months, as opposed to the current three.
The changes in the law will give our reservists the comfort and peace of mind they need…also reassure our Citizen-Soldiers that when they are called upon to serve in a time of need…that ensures the great province of Ontario has the backs of those who serve, said General Rick Hillier (retired), Former Chief of the Defence Staff of Canada. “
Building on job protections introduced last year, these proposed changes are part of a larger package that expands on the actions in the Working for Workers Acts, 2021 and 2022, which are already helping millions of people and would give reservists greater peace of mind when putting their jobs on hold after a deployment.
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