TORONTO — A published report says Ontario teachers' sick days cost school boards nearly $1 billion last year.
The Globe and Mail reports that the not-for-profit School Boards' Co-operative Inc. calculated the cost and found that the average number of sick days teachers and education workers took last year was significantly more than four years prior.
In 2012, the Ontario government took away teachers' ability to bank unused sick days and capped the number of sick days they could take at full pay at 11.
The Globe reports that School Boards' Co-operative Inc., which did not return calls or emails today, found that teachers and education workers took an average of 10.29 sick days each last year, up from 8.86 days four years ago.
Premier Kathleen Wynne did not respond directly to the report today, instead talking about the money the government saved by ending the practice of banked sick days.
