Short-Term Disability in Ontario: How It Works
Short-term disability replaces part of your income during a temporary illness or injury. Here is how it works, how it differs from LTD, and what to do if you have no coverage.
Key takeaways
- Short-term disability (STD) replaces part of your income during a temporary illness or injury.
- It is a benefit plan, not an ESA right. Ontario only requires three unpaid sick days.
- STD usually lasts a set number of weeks, then long-term disability may take over.
- If you have no STD plan, EI sickness benefits may fill the gap.
- STD claims can be denied too, and a denial can be challenged.
In this article
When a health problem keeps you off work for weeks rather than days, short-term disability is what is supposed to keep you paid. But many people are unclear on what it is, whether they even have it, and what happens when it runs out.
✅Quick answer. Short-term disability is a benefit plan, through your employer or an insurer, that replaces part of your income during a temporary illness or injury, usually for a set number of weeks. It is not required by the ESA, which only guarantees three unpaid sick days. When STD runs out, long-term disability may take over. If you have no STD, EI sickness benefits may help.
What is short-term disability?
STD is income replacement for a temporary period when you cannot work due to illness or injury. It typically pays a percentage of your regular wages for a defined number of weeks. It is meant to bridge the gap between short absences, which your sick days cover, and a longer-term inability to work, which LTD covers.
Is short-term disability required by law?
No. There is no legal requirement in Ontario for an employer to provide short-term disability. It is a benefit, offered through a workplace plan or an insurance policy. The ESA only guarantees three unpaid, job-protected sick days a year, which is separate and much smaller.
How long does STD last?
It depends on your plan, but STD commonly runs for a set number of weeks, often several months. Once that period ends, if you still cannot work, coverage may transition to long-term disability under a separate part of your benefits. That handoff from STD to LTD is a point where claims sometimes get disrupted.
Short-term vs. long-term disability
STD covers a temporary, defined period; LTD covers a longer or indefinite inability to work and has its own, often stricter, tests, including the own-occupation to any-occupation change after about two years. They are usually different parts of the same benefits package, with different rules.
What if you do not have short-term disability?
If your workplace has no STD plan, Employment Insurance sickness benefits may provide temporary income while you are unable to work for medical reasons, subject to the usual EI requirements. It is worth checking your eligibility early, since there are application steps and timelines.
What if your STD claim is denied?
STD claims get denied too, often over medical evidence. As with a denied LTD claim, a refusal is not necessarily final, and it can be worth challenging with proper documentation. And whether any benefits you receive are taxable depends on who paid the premiums. If you are unsure of your options, a free review can help.
Frequently asked questions
Is short-term disability required in Ontario?
No. STD is a benefit offered through a workplace plan or insurer, not an ESA requirement. The ESA only guarantees three unpaid, job-protected sick days a year.
How long does short-term disability last?
It depends on the plan, but STD commonly runs for a set number of weeks, often several months, after which long-term disability may take over if you still cannot work.
What is the difference between short-term and long-term disability?
STD covers a temporary, defined period. LTD covers a longer or indefinite inability to work and has stricter tests, including a change from own-occupation to any-occupation after about two years.
What if I do not have short-term disability coverage?
Employment Insurance sickness benefits may provide temporary income while you cannot work for medical reasons, subject to EI eligibility. Check early, since there are steps and timelines.
Omar Haddad
Legal Writer, Mirza Law
Omar Haddad is a legal writer at Mirza Law in Toronto. He writes about termination, medical and disability leave, and what the law protects when an employee is let go.
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