THUNDER BAY – The Ontario government has launched a survey on plans for a portable benefits program it says could cover millions of precariously employed workers.
Results from the survey will help inform the design and implementation of a proposed benefits plan the government says would include coverage for health, dental, prescription drug, and vision care
The survey is available online until Dec. 16 and will be considered by the government’s Portable Benefits Advisory Panel before it makes recommendations on the idea, expected in summer of 2023.
The government announced earlier this year it was pursuing plans to develop a program providing benefits attached to workers, rather than employers.
The plan would ensure coverage for millions of workers in retail, the gig economy, and hospitality who often have limited or no benefits coverage.
In a statement, the government said most workers in the province with full-time, permanent jobs have medical insurance and dental coverage, but fewer than a quarter of those working part-time or in precarious jobs have similar benefits.
“How or where you work should not determine whether you have access to benefits like health and dental plans,” said Minister of Labour Monte McNaughton in a statement.
