A B.C. government announcement mandating annual paid sick days shortchanges workers, say labour leaders and an economist. Meanwhile, small business advocates are concerned how the legislation will cost owners still facing challengine times.

On Wednesday, the province announced that workers would be entitled to five paid sick days every year beginning in January.

91裸聊视频淢any of the people who lack paid sick leave are the same workers we depended on most during the pandemic,91裸聊视频� Labour Minister Henry Bains said. 91裸聊视频淟ower-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.91裸聊视频�

Alex Hemingway, a senior economist for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, said sick days are important for public health and the economy, and it is 91裸聊视频渃oncerning91裸聊视频� it wasn91裸聊视频檛 a minimum of 10 days.

91裸聊视频淧eople need that security of knowing they have enough days at their disposal, so when you get that flu in February, you don91裸聊视频檛 think, 91裸聊视频楢h, maybe I better save it for something even worse later in the year,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� said Hemingway. 91裸聊视频淭hat aligns with what we see around the world in other jurisdictions; 10 days is actually at the low end of what we see in most other countries.91裸聊视频�

Hemingway said the federal government has committed to 10 days for federal workers, something health workers and economists are backing. There is much research literature on 91裸聊视频減resenteeism91裸聊视频� or going to work sick because workers have no choice, he said.

91裸聊视频淭he costs of that presenteeism are much higher than the cost of actually providing paid sick days for people 91裸聊视频� some of the evidence that I91裸聊视频檝e read and cited in my own work in the U.S. shows that in cities that brought in paid sick days saw a 40 per cent reduction in influenza rates during flu waves,91裸聊视频� said Hemingway. 91裸聊视频淧aid sick days for food service workers were associated with 22 per cent decline in food-borne illness rates.

91裸聊视频淲orkers without paid sick days were three times more likely to delay or forego medical care and so having paid sick days seems to encourage people to use preventative care, including getting vaccines actually outside of the COVID context, but just in general.91裸聊视频�

In a news release, Laird Cronk, BC Federation of Labour president, welcomed the provincial announcement, but also found it lacking, as it was only half of the 91裸聊视频�10-day standard that science supports and that is the overwhelming preference of British Columbians,91裸聊视频� vowing to continue to push for greater leave minimums.

Concern for small businesses following a challenging two years

While the announcement by the government didn91裸聊视频檛 touch on specific details, such as whether this new legislation will include part-time employees, small business advocates are concerned at how this will land on local employers.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business called the five days as 91裸聊视频渢one-deaf to the realities small businesses are facing,91裸聊视频� in a news release. Recent survey feedback showed that businesses are in no position to offer the new program on 38 days91裸聊视频� notice.

BC Chamber of Commerce president Fiona Famulak said that businesses know it is important to make sure employees feel safe and healthy, calling the announcement a 91裸聊视频済ut punch in the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of B.C. businesses91裸聊视频� and yet another cost born solely on employers.

91裸聊视频淎s with any cost increase, this will create challenges for some small businesses at a particularly difficult time when they are still trying to recover from the pandemic and can least afford the additional burden,91裸聊视频� Famulak said.

91裸聊视频淟et91裸聊视频檚 be clear. While many businesses have been resilient through this pandemic, it doesn91裸聊视频檛 mean they are thriving. They are emotionally and financially exhausted.91裸聊视频�

On Wednesday, the province also announced that the temporary paid sick days program that was launched at the height of the pandemic will be coming to a close on Dec. 31. Through this program, businesses were able to access up to $200 per day through the province if they didn91裸聊视频檛 have an existing sick leave program.

91裸聊视频淭he added cost of the permanent paid sick leave program is on top of a number of cost increases that businesses have needed to shoulder in the last few years, that include the introduction of the employer health tax, rising property taxes, and costs associated with implementing safety measures for the pandemic,91裸聊视频� Famulak said.

Businesses will also soon be facing an increase to the Canadian Pension Plan premiums, which are set to rise Jan. 1.

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