Opposition bill would provide Islanders with 10 paid sick days

P.E.I.’s Official Opposition introduced ahead a invoice for debate within the legislature Thursday which might require employers present ten paid sick days a yr to employees — essentially the most of any province within the nation.

At present, P.E.I. requires just one paid sick day per yr, and that is just for staff who’ve been with the identical employer for 5 years. 

Beneath the Employment Requirements Act, staff are entitled to a few unpaid sick days per yr after six months on the job.

They merely can not afford to take a break day when they’re sick if they are not getting paid.— Trish Altass

Some provinces require no paid sick days. B.C. lately introduced in laws requiring 5. The federal government of Doug Ford in Ontario now requires three.

With P.E.I. getting ready to elevate obligatory isolation necessities for COVID-19, the invoice’s sponsor Trish Altass stated an enlargement of paid sick go away within the province cannot wait.

“We have now so many Islanders proper now who’re struggling, who’re residing paycheque to paycheque, and so they merely can not afford to take a break day when they’re sick if they are not getting paid,” stated Altass.

“We do not need Islanders going to work sick. It’s unhealthy for his or her well being. It is unhealthy for public well being. And it is unhealthy for our health-care system.”

‘This could be a major value to enterprise,’ minister says

Throughout debate, the province’s Minister of Financial Improvement Bloyce Thompson advised the home between 48 and 58 per cent of Island employees obtain no paid sick days.

However he questioned the session course of the Greens used to develop their invoice, the mathematics system they included to calculate misplaced wages and the impression the change would have on companies.

“I believe all of us can agree that this could be a major value to enterprise,” he stated. “Enterprise stakeholders who’ve reached out to me and have raised considerations about the price of this program, significantly given they’re going through the identical inflation pressures and prices everyone seems to be.”

“I believe we are able to all agree, minister, that that is already a major value to employees, who’re those which are paying this at present,” replied Altass.

“They’re those which are lacking out on pay or going to work sick.”

Early within the pandemic, the province created a COVID-19 particular go away fund to pay employees for time missed because of sickness, the necessity to isolate or to look after relations.

Preliminary uptake in this system was low, however the province stated Tuesday that of $2 million in funding accessible for the reason that program was launched, $1.4 had been allotted.

Employers submit functions underneath this system on behalf of employees, however there is no requirement for them to take action, and the Greens stated some have merely chosen to not, leaving their employees unpaid for time missed.

Altass stated the particular go away fund might type the inspiration of a assist program to assist companies handle the prices of expanded sick go away, one thing her laws suggests the province do. As a non-public member’s invoice, her laws cannot power the federal government to spend cash.

Greens ask barrage of sick go away inquiries to ministers throughout query interval

Throughout query interval, Inexperienced MLAs peppered each authorities minister within the room with questions round sick go away, receiving largely the identical response in return — that authorities is ready for outcomes from a assessment of the Employment Requirements Act.

“Dr. Morrison has repeatedly requested Islanders to remain residence after they’re sick,” Opposition Chief Peter Bevan-Baker stated to the premier, referring to the province’s chief public well being officer.

“How do you counsel that Islanders who do not have paid sick days observe her sound recommendation?”

“The deputy premier is on document saying that Islanders ought to tighten their belts when going through the excessive value of residing,” stated Inexperienced MLA Lynne Lund.

“For Islanders who’re a paycheque away from starvation or homelessness, who cannot afford to take a break day of labor with out pay, is your recommendation to go to work sick or to tighten your belt?”

“We face very onerous instances as a province and as a rustic. As a authorities, we’ll do what we are able to for Islanders,” responded Minister of Agriculture and Land Darlene Compton.

“And as lots of my colleagues have stated, we stay up for a assessment of the Employment Requirements Act.”

The final assessment of the Employment Requirements Act was in 2006. Calls for one more assessment got here earlier than the federal government of Dennis King was in energy.

Altass stated will probably be two years earlier than any laws comes ahead out of the assessment.

She stated the isolation requirement for COVID-19 was one of many “final measures that ensured employees would be capable of take the break day in the event that they wanted it after they have been sick with COVID. 

“With out that, there’s actually no approach to make sure that employees can take the break day when they’re sick except you legislate it, except you guarantee that all employees have that safety.”