Five day employer-paid sick leave in B.C. begins in 2022

British Columbians who become ill and need to miss work will be supported by a new paid sick leave program.

Minister of Labour, Harry Bains, announced the new program Wednesday, which will come into effect January 1, 2022.

“All workers covered by Employment Standard Act [including part-time workers] will be entitled to a minimum of five days of employer-paid sick leave each year,” said Bains.

“Everyone gets sick from time to time, and now we are the first province to implement a minimum standard of five days of paid sick leave each year.”

Bains noted that this initiative has had a lot of support, saying 60,000 workers and employers responded to a public survey to have their say in a paid sick leave program, and after reviewing all the responses, he believes the province has created a program that fits the needs of everyone.

“Not surprisingly, some had called for three days or less, while others had asked for 10 days or more,” said Bains.

“Five days is a sustainable solution given the challenges faced by many sectors.”

Bains added that over a million British Columbians do not have paid sick leave, and they should not have to choose between staying home and losing wages or going to work when ill.

“The workers without coverage are usually the most vulnerable workers in our society. Those in low-paying jobs, often women, and racialized people. These are the very people who can least afford to stay home and lose wages when sick.”

The minister also said this initiative will help with B.C.’s economic recovery, help businesses retain more workers, and resolve the labor shortage.

Bains noted the COVID-19 pandemic has made apparent that there is a need to support workers when they stay home from work when sick, and this announcement builds on the three-days paid sick leave the province announced in May.

“This has made a big difference to workers who can stay home and get healthy with peace of mind, to employers who are ensuring the customers and their employees are safe, and to our community by reducing the spread of COVID-19.”

He added the three-day employer-paid coverage was supported by provincial reimbursements of up to $200 a day, and in consultations following the rollout of the program, 98 per cent of employers did not report anyone abusing this system.

However, the Ministry of Labour confirmed with Vernon Matters that unlike the three-day paid coverage program that was rolled out in May, the five-day program will not see employers reimbursed by the province.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s Provincial Health Officer, echoed the points made by Bains on the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the workforce Wednesday, specifically how it has disproportionally impacted women, marginalized populations, lower-income people and racialized people.

“We know that economic policies have health impacts, we have seen that, and we have seen that the health of workers impacts our economy,” said Henry.

“We also know that for some people job security is tenuous, and this has increased during the pandemic, and we’ve seen that in many sectors including health care; including food production, and many others.”

She said while many British Columbians know not to go out while sick, it can mean potentially losing jobs, stable housing, or the ability of providing food for their family. Henry added that people who chose to go to work when sick can put the whole workplace at risk of infection and potentially shutting down.

“I have been an advocate, as many of my public health colleagues have, for [paid sick leave] as a way to give people the means to follow our advice for a long time, even before this pandemic, but it has become starkly apparent how important it is in the last year and half,” Henry remarked.

“With today’s announcement, workers now have an important tool to take care of themselves and those around them. The ability to stay home and not lose your job or a day’s wages is really important.”

Bains also said Parliamentary Secretary Adam Walker is currently working to come up with a plan to support those not covered by the Employer Standard Act, such as the self-employed and gig workers, and provide them with paid sick leave options.