Short-term disability (STD) in Ontario replaces part of your income when an illness, injury or mental health condition prevents you from working.
Benefits usually come through an employer or private short-term disability plan. Ontario employers are not automatically required to provide this coverage. Your plan determines whether you qualify, how much you receive and how long payments continue.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How much does it pay? | Often 60%–85% of covered earnings, subject to your plan’s limits. |
| How long does it last? | Typically up to six months, but the maximum depends on your plan. |
| When do payments start? | After any waiting period required by your plan, once your claim is approved. |
| Is it a government benefit? | No. STD coverage is separate from EI sickness benefits and Ontario’s medical-leave rules. |
💡 Benefits and job protection are separate: STD replaces income. Medical-leave and human-rights laws protect eligible employees at work. An insurance denial does not automatically end your right to medical leave.
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How Much Does Short-Term Disability Pay in Ontario?
Many STD plans replace 60%–85% of your covered earnings. Some pay more, including full salary for an initial period. Others pay less or have a weekly maximum.
For example, a plan paying 70% of $1,000 in covered weekly earnings would provide $700 before any applicable taxes, caps or other adjustments.
Are STD Benefits Taxable?
Benefits are usually taxable if your employer paid all or part of the insurance premiums. If you paid the entire premium yourself with after-tax dollars, benefits are usually tax-free. Learn more about taxes on short-term disability benefits.
How Long Does Short-Term Disability Last in Ontario?
STD typically provides benefits for up to six months, but your plan may have a shorter or longer maximum. There is no single duration that applies to every Ontario employee.
The insurer may approve a few weeks at a time and request updated medical information before extending payments. The plan’s maximum benefit period is not a guarantee that every claim will be paid for that long.
Who Qualifies for Short-Term Disability in Ontario?
You must have STD coverage and meet your plan’s definition of disability. Your medical evidence should explain why your condition prevents you from performing your job. Coverage requirements, exclusions and claim deadlines also matter.
Qualifying conditions can include injuries, surgery recovery, cancer, chronic pain, serious infections and mental health conditions. A diagnosis alone does not guarantee approval.
Can You Get STD for Anxiety, Depression or Stress?
Yes. Anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions can qualify when their symptoms prevent you from working and you meet the plan’s requirements. Workplace stress alone does not automatically establish a disability.
For example: A note saying “off work with anxiety” may leave important questions unanswered. Medical evidence explaining how panic attacks, poor sleep or impaired concentration prevent you from handling your actual job duties gives the insurer a clearer picture.
Read our guide to short-term disability for mental health conditions.
How Do You Apply for Short-Term Disability in Ontario?
- Check your coverage: Ask your employer or benefits administrator for the plan, claim forms, waiting period and submission deadlines.
- Complete the required statements: Most claims need information from you, your employer and your healthcare provider. Explain your symptoms, treatment and why you can’t perform your job.
- Submit and follow up: Keep copies, confirm that all required information was received and respond to requests for additional records.
Don’t assume your employer has started the claim simply because you reported your absence. See our step-by-step STD application guide.
Is Your Job Protected While You Receive STD?
STD approval does not determine your job protection. That protection comes from employment and human-rights laws.
Ontario’s long-term illness leave provides eligible employees with up to 27 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 52-week period. You must have worked for your employer for at least 13 consecutive weeks and have the required medical certificate supporting your absence for a serious medical condition.
These ESA rules apply to provincially regulated workplaces. Federally regulated employees have different leave rules.
Your employer also has a duty to accommodate a disability to the point of undue hardship. This can include additional medical leave, modified duties or a gradual return to work.
Your employer can’t fire you for taking a protected leave or discriminate against you because of a disability. However, STD does not prevent every lawful termination. Get legal advice before signing a severance offer or resignation.
What Should You Do if Short-Term Disability Is Denied?
A denial does not automatically mean you are able to work or that the insurer is right. Claims may be refused because of missing medical details, incomplete forms, coverage disputes or disagreement about your ability to do your job.
Get the decision in writing, obtain your plan and review the insurer’s reasons with your doctor. Speak with a disability lawyer before deciding whether to appeal or take legal action.
⚠️ Watch every deadline: An internal insurance appeal does not necessarily pause the deadline for legal action. Don’t let an STD dispute cause you to miss a long-term disability application deadline, either.
Learn what to do when short-term disability is denied or cut off.
What if You Have No STD Coverage or Your Benefits End?
EI Sickness Benefits
EI sickness benefits can provide up to 26 weeks of income support if you meet the federal eligibility requirements. They may be an option when you have no STD coverage or your payments end.
Check your workplace benefits first. Don’t assume you can collect full STD and EI payments for the same period.
Long-Term Disability Benefits
If you remain unable to work and have LTD coverage, you may need to apply for long-term disability benefits in Ontario. STD approval does not guarantee LTD approval.
Start preparing before STD expires. Confirm the LTD waiting period, application deadline and medical requirements. Our guide explains what happens when short-term disability ends.
Get Help With a Short-Term Disability Claim
You don’t usually need a lawyer for a straightforward initial application. Legal help becomes important when benefits are denied, delayed or cut off, or you are pressured to return before you are medically ready.
The short-term disability lawyers in Toronto and STD lawyers across Canada at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP help employees challenge disability claim decisions. We deal with the insurer and pursue the benefits and compensation you are owed. Our Ontario employment lawyers can also address related problems with medical leave, accommodation or dismissal.
Denied doesn’t mean defeated.
Request a free, confidential disability consultation or call 1-855-821-5900.