By Harinder Mahil

There has been a lot of discussion these days about paid sick leave for workers. There is a general agreement that workers should not go to work while they are sick and that they deserve paid sick leave. Most provinces were waiting for the federal government to introduce a program of paid sick leave in its budget. That has not happened. 

The recent pandemic has made it clear that everyone’s health and well-being depends on workers being able to stay home when they are sick. In BC, workers now have a legal right to time off when they are ill—three days for regular illness and unlimited time for COVID-19—but not paid time off. As a result, for many in BC, staying home when sick means losing income. 

Over the last year we have realized the importance of truck drives, taxi drivers, transit workers, cashiers, delivery drivers and many others who are unable to work from home. A society does not function without these people going to work. 

Many workers who work in factories, warehouses and retail outlets are non-unionized and have few labour protections. They lack easy access to paid sick days, and face threats of losing their jobs if they stay home. Why should we expect these workers to be treated as second class workers? Why should they lose wages when they stay home when they are sick?

It is extremely unfair to force workers to make a choice between working sick and staying home without pay. It is also not an effective public health strategy that will results in employees reporting to work ill and potentially triggering outbreaks of COVID-19. 

There have been many situations where workers felt completed to go to work when they were not well and ended up infecting others. These workplace cases soon make their way to the community when people bring the virus home, often infecting family members. There have been many situations where entire families – more often than not working-class and racialized – have been sickened and hospitalized.

The BC Federation of Labour has called on the provincial government to move quickly so workers don’t lose pay for the work they miss while they are home either because of COVID or have to isolate themselves to protect others.

It is encouraging to see Premier Horgan making a commitment of bringing in a program of paid sick leave for all workers.  I urge him to do it as soon as possible because research shows, such a program would benefit a large number of workers in BC, including some of the lowest paid and most precarious. 

Harinder Mahil is a community activist and a board member of the Dr. Hari Sharma Foundation.