Workers in Manitoba will have access to three hours of paid leave to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations.

Finance Minister Scott Fielding adds that workers can take extended unpaid leave “if they need more time to travel to vaccination appointments and can’t work due to vaccination side effects.”

The paid leave can be accessed by workers each time they require a dose of the vaccine.

“We obviously don’t know if there will be booster shots in the fall but this would cover that as well.” Fielding said. “We strive to balance the rights of businesses and workers, so we do ask Manitobans to give their employers as much notice as possible and try to schedule appointments at a least disruptive time for the business.”

In a news release, it’s noted by the province the “wage rate would be fixed at an employee’s regular wage rate, or the average wage for employees whose wage varies, such as those paid on commission.”

The province also says this paid leave for vaccinations “complements the recently announced Manitoba Pandemic Sick Leave program, which is a voluntary program to reimburse eligible employers for providing paid time off to employees who are absent for reasons related to COVID-19.

The program covers up to $600 per employee for a maximum of five full days of COVID-19 related sick leave.”