Horgan welcomes news Ottawa will be pursuing paid sick leave
by Cindy E. HarnettCINDY E. HARNETT
Times Colonist
B.C. Premier John Horgan is applauding news that the federal government is looking at ensuring 10 days of paid sick leave for workers.
The premier has been advocating for a national sick-leave program and had said the province would implement its own program if Ottawa did not take the lead on the issue.
“I look forward to continuing our work with the prime minister to deliver sick leave in order to protect British Columbians during this pandemic,” Horgan said in a statement.
During his daily briefing on Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said no one should have to choose between taking a day off work due to illness or being able to pay their bills, pay rent or buy groceries.
“That is why the government will continue discussions with the provinces, without delay, on ensuring that as we enter the recovery phase of the pandemic, every worker in Canada who needs it has access to 10 days of paid sick leave a year,” Trudeau said. “And we will also consider other mechanisms for the longer term to support workers with sick leave.”
Trudeau said discussions still have to take place with the provinces about how the program will work.
“We recognize we are in a situation of crisis, where companies and enterprises don’t have much flexibility on the financial level, so we expect during the crisis, it will be governments that will have to take a large part of the weight,” he said.
The federal NDP demanded two weeks of paid sick leave for all workers in exchange for supporting the federal government’s plan to extend the suspension of the House of Commons during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have been clear from the beginning that the government should make sure every worker has access to paid sick leave,” NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said in a statement.
Singh said the party will continue to push the government to ensure it delivers on the commitment and works with provinces to make sick leave for workers permanent.
Horgan has been advocating for the federal government to fund sick days through the Employment Insurance program as part of a national health emergency.
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix, during a COVID-19 briefing on Monday, said workers staying home when sick is one of the key ways to control the spread of COVID-19.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said it recognizes special measures such as paid sick time are needed to respond to the pandemic, but “serious concerns” need to be ironed out prior to the introduction of any permanent sick-time provisions. “Small business owners just cannot be expected to take on any additional costs at this time,” said federation president Dan Kelly in a statement.
Small-business owners are already bracing for a “significant increase” in Employment Insurance premiums to cover the cost of higher levels of unemployment expected to continue after federal benefits related to the pandemic are discontinued, the federation said.
Higher EI premiums, combined with plans for years of Canadian Pension Plan premium increases, mean rising payroll taxes at a time of high unemployment, it said.
The federation is urging the federal and provincial governments to refrain from making COVID-19-related response measures permanent until everything returns to “normal times” and a debate can be held on “intended and unintended consequences.”
“Given the provincial role in setting employment standards rules for most small firms, special care is needed to ensure that the federal government does not create another confusing policy environment as we are experiencing with the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance program,” said Kelly.