Paid Sick Leave

People shouldn’t be forced to choose between working sick or struggling to pay the bills — not in a pandemic, not ever. It’s wrong to force workers into the impossible choice between putting food on the table and staying home to protect public health when they get sick. We can’t afford to wait — it’s time for paid sick days for every worker in Canada.

Forcing workers to choose between going to work sick or struggling to pay the bills is risking people’s lives. Nobody wants their colleagues to have to work when they are sick, putting themselves and everyone else at risk.

No workers should ever have to make the difficult decision to work sick. But now more than ever, COVID-19 has made it clear that we can’t afford to take the risk. We need permanent, paid, protected sick days for all.

Demand paid sick days for every worker. Now.

ABOUT PAID SICK DAYS

All sick days should be job-protected. Employers shouldn’t be able to fire people because they were off sick.

Paid, protected sick days should be permanent. Even outside of a pandemic, nobody should be forced to choose between working sick or buying groceries.

Employers should cover the cost. Workers taking sick days is just a cost of doing business. While some vulnerable businesses might need some help to make this happen while they recover from the pandemic, big profit-making corporations should pay for this themselves.

On day one of their employment, workers should have the right to paid sick days. This must be available to every worker in Canada as a condition of employment.

CRSB is not the same as paid sick days. Workers can’t afford to apply and wait weeks for payment rather than getting their regular paycheque. And the Canadian Response Sick Benefit (CRSB) doesn’t cover shorter leaves, like waiting for results from a COVID test.