URGENT! Only a week left to make federal paid sick days accessible for our patients
Published December 9, 2021by Monika Dutt
I want to make sure you know that the federal government is currently debating permanent paid sick days, with the Bill slated to be finalized by next week.
I gave a testimony to the Senate yesterday on Bill C-3 which would legislate 10 paid sick days for federally regulated employees. As happy as I am to see this overdue legislation being treated with urgency, it’s important to get it right.
Currently, there are two major issues with Bill C-3:
- It allows employers to ask for sick notes which creates barriers for workers to access paid sick days.
- Workers accrue a single sick day each month with up to 10 paid sick days during the calendar year. This means workers who need to stay home at the beginning of their employment do not have full access to adequate sick leave.
Paid sick days are only effective if they are seamlessly accessible to our patients. This means no sick notes and no accrual method.
The Decent Work and Health Network sent a letter to the Minister of Labour outlining the necessary amendments to Bill C-3.
This is time-sensitive. You can show your support to the amendments by sending a letter to your elected representatives.
| Send your MP a message now |
The federal government also promised to convene provinces and territories to have them implement 10 permanent paid sick days. We need to do everything we can to ensure they get it right with Bill C-3 so that the standard for permanent and adequate paid sick days will be set for the country.
In solidarity,
Monika
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Monika Dutt, MD
DWHN Member
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