Report calls for 10 paid sick days
As Nova Scotia's temporary COVID-19 paid sick leave program nears its end, a new report is calling for universal and permanent paid sick leave legislation in the province that would prioritize the health and well-being of workers as well as their families and communities.
A team of researchers at Acadia University partnered with the Nova Scotia branch of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives to release the report, called No Nova Scotian Should Have to Work Sick: The Urgent Need for Universal and Permanent Paid Sick Leave Legislation.
It was authored by Rebecca Casey, Rachel K. Brickner, Jesse Carlson, Sarah Rudrum and Jenn Munroe.
As Casey points out, paid sick leave has been a “longstanding concern or issue” for workers, but the COVID-19 pandemic has made it an even “bigger issue.”
“We're more aware of what it means now to work while sick or not having the ability to take the time away that you need to then recover and also not to infect your coworkers, your customers or maybe patients and residents in longterm care facilities,” she said.
PAID SICK LEAVE IN NOVA SCOTIA
Currently, workers in Nova Scotia can get up to four paid sick days if they need to take time off as part of the province's COVID-19 paid sick leave program, which is paid for by the public.
But that temporary pro
gram ends this Saturday, which Casey said is “the shortest time period of all of the temporary policies that were created.”
Other jurisdictions in Canada have temporary paid sick policies in place until September.
Meanwhile, three jurisdictions — federal, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island — currently have legislation that guarantees paid sick leave for workers.
While employers aren't legislated in Nova Scotia to give their workers paid sick leave, 46 per cent of workers have access to paid sick leave in Nova Scotia, which is slightly above the national average at 42 per cent, the report states.
Casey called this “promising,” but noted there are dif
ferences in who has access based on the type of work they're doing.
A mixed-methods survey, cited in the report, included data from 141 teachers, 151 long-term care workers and 186 retail workers during the first wave of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia.
Among survey participants, 42 per cent of retail workers, 90 per cent of long-term care workers and 98 per cent of teachers had access to paid sick leave.
Ninety-six per cent of teachers reported receiving at least 10 paid sick days per year. Among long-term care workers, 69 per cent received at least 10 days per year. Retail workers reported the least access, with 11 per cent reported having at least 10 paid sick days per year.
“What the data shows in the report is that our most vulnerable workers, those that are low wage, not working a permanent job, they're the ones who don't have access to paid sick leave,” Casey said.
According to Casey, 10 days of permanent and legislated sick leave — paid for by employers — would allow Nova Scotians “some buffer time” and “flexibility” so that they can care for themselves when they're sick, but also their loved ones when they are sick.
“(It's) not just for the worker, but it would also be used for families that are sick, so caring for children or partners or aging parents,” she said.
‘IF YOU’RE SICK, YOU’RE SICK’
The survey also looked at whether workers used their paid sick leave prior to the pandemic and whether their perceived expectations of their employers had any role to play in that.
Although workers had access to paid sick leave, 65 per cent of teachers, 54 per cent of long-term care workers and 53 per cent of retail workers reported that they were expected to work when sick.
The expectation to work when sick was higher among retail workers without paid sick leave, at 71 per cent.
“Even though you might have access to paid sick leave, I think we also need to make sure that there's no negative consequences for a worker to use their paid sick time,” Casey said.
Retail workers were the most likely, at 29 per cent, to work when they were sick, even when they had access to paid sick leave. Among teachers, 18 per cent reported going to work when sick, while 16 per cent of longterm care workers went to work when sick.
Among retail workers without paid sick leave, 41 per cent reported going to work when sick. Of these, 88 per cent reported going to work when sick because they needed the money.
Hailie Tattrie is an organizer for Fight for $15 & Fairness Halifax, one of several groups calling for 10 permanent employer-paid sick days in Nova Scotia. Tattrie said she's heard from lots of people during her group's rallies and other events who have gone into work sick because they can't afford to miss a paycheque.
“And I don't think that's something we can shame them when for some folks, if you miss a paycheque, you can't pay your rent, you can't pay your mortgage, you can't get your kids groceries,” she added.
Tattrie said giving workers 10 permanent sick days is something that every Nova Scotian should be able to agree on — regardless of where they lie on the political spectrum.
“If you're sick, you're sick,” she said.
“You shouldn't have to go to work, you shouldn't have to worry about getting others sick because well, I have to go into work or else I may not be able to make my rent or pay my bills.”
The full report is available online at policyalternatives. ca/offices/nova-scotia/publications.