Canada’s introduction of 10 paid sick days for federally regulated workers could be cause for celebration, if the federal government gets it right.
To present Bill C-3The Justin Trudeau government has set an important standard for all governments in the nation. It is now widely recognized that 10 days of permanent sick leave is a minimum standard. However, there are aspects of the legislation that must be improved to guarantee the protection of workers and public health.
Paid sick days must be easily accessible. Unfortunately, as it stands, the proposed bill states that employees would have to work one month and then start earning just one day per month up to a maximum of 10 paid days per year. This would leave many workers just starting work, including those in precarious, short-term and temporary jobs, with insufficient days to recover from illness.
A 2019 survey found that doctors recommend that patients stay home for four days with the flu and three days with the common cold and gastroenteritis. And for COVID-19, public health recommendations may require people to stay home for 10 to 14 days.
Workers must have at least 10 paid sick days available as soon as possible after starting work. Failure to do so undermines its effectiveness and plays on the myth that workers who have paid sick days will abuse them. Research shows that the opposite is true. After legislating 9 sick days paid in San Francisco, the city found that workers used a median of three days, and a quarter of workers did not use any.
Not having adequate paid sick days is also costly for companies, as employees arrive sick to work, resulting in lower productivity, more workplace injuries, poorer worker morale, and a greater spread of disease. infections
Another concern is that proposed federal legislation on paid sick days allows employers to require a sick leave, creating a barrier to access and a risk to public health. Surveys showed that 82 percent of Canadians I’d rather go to work sick than get a sick note. Requiring sick patients to see their healthcare provider can also delay their recovery and expose them and others to illness. Additionally, writing sick notes takes time away from providing direct patient care in an already overburdened health care system. That is why medical organizations, including the Canadian Medical Association and the Ontario Medical Association You have opposed sickness notes and why most jurisdictions in Canada removed the ability to require sickness notes during the pandemic.
Nurses, physicians, and healthcare providers across the country, including those on the front lines of public health, have seen the impact of the lack of permanent paid sick days on our patients and communities. It is troubling to see the lives and work of racialized and hard-working women workers being devalued, both in terms of low wages and the denial of basic job protections. Those with precarious immigration status are also among those least likely to have paid sick days and most likely to have gotten sick and died from COVID-19. It is encouraging that the federal government has responded to the growing calls and evidence showing that all workers need access to paid sick days that are permanent and in sufficient quantity.
This legislation is long overdue, but it must also be enforced effectively. This means that all workers must have access to the full 10 days without a monthly accrual model or the need for a sick note. With these changes, Bill C-3 would be a standard to follow for the provinces and territories. Together with a meaningful national action plan as promised by the Minister of Labor, this could save lives and provide essential protection from paid sick days to millions of workers.
Given all that workers have endured during the pandemic, including the choice between staying sick at home or going to work sick to earn the necessary income, paid sick days should be part of any government’s recovery plan. The federal government can show the way by delivering a paid sick day plan that is accessible, without barriers, for all workers.
Reference-www.thestar.com