Mixed reaction to new paid sick leave rules

The provincial government has announced that employers will need to provide a minimum of five paid sick days for workers in British Columbia starting Jan. 1, 2022.

B.C. is the first province in Canada to implement this level of paid time off.

Premier John Horgan said in a media release, having this new mandate will not have workers lose pay for doing the right thing.

“The pandemic has highlighted that when workers don’t have paid sick leave, it’s bad for them, it’s bad for their co-workers, and it’s bad for their employers,” Horgan said.

Minister of Labour Harry Bains noted people who worked in essential services during the pandemic were those who lacked paid sick leave.

“Lower-wage workers who help us get our groceries, prepare our food at restaurants and make sure we have the services we need deserve a basic protection like paid sick leave,” Bains said.

Feedback from workplaces in the province that already provide paid sick leave found most workers take between zero and five days a year.

The B.C. Federation of Labour (BCFED) President Laird Cronk said in a news release the announcement is a significant milestone, but still falls short on providing the coverage sick workers need.

“This is an important achievement for public health and safer workplaces,” Cronk said. “But we’re disappointed that it’s only half the 10-day standard that science supports and that is the overwhelming preference of British Columbians.”

Cronk added the BCFED will continue to fight for 10 days, but, for now, the five days will give labourers some relief.

“Workers need to have the confidence that if they get sick more than once a year, they have the protection they need to make the choice to stay home,” Cronk said.

In the Okanagan, there are concerns surrounding the added costs this new standard will bring to small businesses.

Kelowna Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Dan Rogers told Kelowna10 his organization had asked the government to hold off on making the decision initially, so it could have a better understanding of where businesses are at.

“For some small businesses, it’s a bit of a minority, it’s a bit of a punch in the gut when they’re facing increase costs at every turn, and now they’re going to faced increased costs because of this,” Rogers said.

Rogers noted while bigger business already have a sick leave plan provided by the company, smaller business will now have to take on additional costs, which ultimately are passed along to the consumer.

“At every point, consumers are seeing prices increased, whether it’s going to the gas station, or at the grocery store, going out to restaurants,” he said. “Costs are increasing and that’s going to impact inflation and that’s not good for any of us.”

With the addition of the employer health tax, the supply line challenges, overhead taxes, and now the paid sick leave program, Rogers said the best thing governments can do at this point to help, is provide tax relief.

“We got other storms with respect to the challenges on our supply line, but tax relief is the best way to help everyone get through this.”