No one should have to choose between working while sick and not being able to pay rent.

The COVID-19 health emergency has made the need for paid sick days and adequate job protection more obvious than ever before.

Send a LetterSign the petitionmedia
Join the Employment Standards Coalition to call on the BC NDP to provide employees with paid sick days under the Employment Standards Act.

Our demands are:

1. To provide employees, regardless of their employment status (full time, part time, casual) or length of service, with the right to a paid sick leave;

2. In response to the COVID-19 emergency, that the Employment Standards Act should immediately provide for paid sick leave for at least 21 days for employees for the duration of the emergency, without a minimum employment requirement and without a requirement for proof of sickness;

3. At the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency the Employment Standards Act should contain on a permanent basis a paid sick leave provision as follows, as recommended in our September 2018 submission to your Ministry:

  • All employees shall accrue a minimum of one hour of paid sick time for every 35 hours worked.
  • Employees will not accrue more than 52 hours of paid sick time in a calendar year, unless the employer selects a higher limit.
  • A  full time 35-hour per week employee will accrue 7 paid sick days per year.
  • Up to 52 hours of unused paid sick time may be carried over for the use in the year following the year of accrual.
  • Employers shall be prohibited from requiring evidence (i.e., a Doctor’s note) of illness for such absences.
  • Employers shall be prohibited from terminating or changing the conditions of employment as a result of an employee’s sick leave, without the employee’s written consent.

Who is behind this petition?​

This petition is sponsored by the Employment Standards Coalition. We have long advocated for the modernization of the Employment Standards Act and work to bring together organizations, advocates and workers to campaign for better wages and working conditions.

These organizations have signed this petition already. Sign on as your organization to be added to the list. (Email us at comms@retailaction.ca if you signed for your group but we missed you):

Vancouver and District Labour Council
Retail Action Network
First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition
Living Wage for Families Campaign
Dignidad Migrante
Together Against Poverty Society
BC Government and Service Employees Union
Service Employees International Union, Local 2
Victory Square Law Office
Alliance for People’s Health
Damayan BC
Dr. Kendra Strauss, Director, The Labour Studies Program SFU
Prof. Gerardo Otero, School of International Studies SFU
BC Poverty Reduction Coalition
Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregivers’ Rights
Sanctuary Health
Migrante BC
The Hospital Employees’ Union
Vancouver Ecosocialists
Sulong UBC
Social Environmental Alliance
Canadian Filipino.Net
Asian Women for Equality
Community Legal Assistance Society
United Food and Commercial Workers 1518
Victoria Labour Council
Climate Justice Victoria
Ksan Society

Note on “Paid Sick Days for All”

The Employment Standards Act doesn’t offer protections for all workers and many are entirely or partially excluded by the Act. This includes gig economy workers, sex workers, self-employed workers, and migrant and undocumented workers. We urge the government to ensure no workers fall through the cracks and all have equal access to basic work protections like paid sick days.

 

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