Opinion: An employee on paid sick days is less likely to get sick and put other people and production at risk. Providing sick days increases productivity and morale.
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As small business owners, we are excited to see that 10 paid sick days are on the legislative agenda. With BC enacting paid sick days in January and Prime Minister Trudeau just campaigned on a promise to require 10 paid sick days per year, the issue is gaining momentum.
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We have seen the disastrous COVID-19 pandemic waves that swept through Canada and realized that people can only stay home when they are sick if they can afford it. Making workers fear for their job or income when they are sick only hurts the business.
Because more than half of workers in Canada currently have access to zero paid sick days, we need to legislate them now.
However, fear of the impact on businesses has increased in the British Columbia government survey of paid sick days. The questions focus on business concerns, citing indications from employers that paid sick days would have “a major impact on their operations.” Unfortunately, this implies a predetermined negative business impact and could influence survey responses. We must dispel the myth that paid sick days are just a cost to businesses.
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Instead, there is the opportunity to highlight the business benefits of paid sick days. We would like to clear up some misconceptions and encourage legislators and business owners to embrace paid sick days.
An employee with paid sick days is less likely to become ill and put other people and production at risk. Providing sick days increases productivity and morale. An employee with paid sick days is more likely to stay on the job longer, saving money on hiring and training. We know the benefits of experience and studies have shown them too. Paid sick days are really good for business.
The savings simply outweigh the costs. This has never been more true than during the ongoing pandemic.
Why should BC legislate 10 paid sick days per year? There is an unfortunate myth about sick time “abuse,” but we found that few employees use all of their paid sick time. Ten per year is less than one day per month, but having some leeway means employees who need extra time to recover can take advantage of it without a financial burden.
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The conversation about the impact of paid sick days on business is evolving. The benefits are well understood by many, including the many companies that already offer paid sick days.
For example, Community Savings Credit Union offers 12 days of paid sick leave throughout the year. They saw huge benefits for their businesses and colleagues by offering an additional 10 days of paid leave if a member of their team contracted COVID-19 or had a reaction to the vaccine, plus an additional six hours per week to accommodate the complexity of the pandemic. . They reported no loss of productivity and were instead rewarded with greater engagement.
The companies least likely to offer paid sick days to their employees are large, highly profitable corporations such as Amazon, Walmart, Loblaws, and Pattison Food Group. Although they can afford it, these companies do not volunteer to pay for sick days.
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Some companies will be new to the idea and it may take some time to become familiar with the benefits of paid sick days. But this pandemic has made it clear that we cannot let individual employers implement them.
That’s why we need government leadership to level the playing field for all businesses and bring in permanent paid sick days for everyone. The British Columbia government has already learned that both employers and employees are concerned that employees will come to work sick and infect others.
The best way to prevent this is to legislate paid sick days for everyone. So let’s do it.
Dave Balfour owns the Clayton Heights Sports & Therapy Center in Surrey. Gilleen Pearce is the Ontario Business Network Coordinator Better Way Alliance and a business owner.
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Reference-theprovince.com