On October 4, our Chamber submitted its feedback on the MLA Official Opposition’s proposed 10 Day Sick Leave legislation on behalf of our over 1,100 members representing over 20,000 employees. This proposed legislation would amend the Employment Standards Act to mandate 10 days of sick leave for all workers.
In our letter, we state that while we appreciate the intentions of the proposed legislation and are open to further discussion, we have some strong reservations. Some of these reservations include:
- Timing and impacts on small businesses
- Part-time vs full-time workers
- Funding and red tape burdens
- Workplace culture and unintended consequences
- Examples from other jurisdictions
- Proper process through the Employment Standards Act Comprehensive Review Panel (ESACRP)
To be clear, our members agree that adequate support should be in place when their employees become ill and are required to miss work. However, they disagree that ten days of paid sick leave is a reasonable policy to achieve that. Similarly, our members encourage the Official Opposition caucus to allow for proper consultation through the ESACRP to allow for a balanced, non-partisan policy that would allow businesses to provide support for their employees when they become ill and to recognize the current economic challenges being faced by the business community.
To view our letter to Trish Altass and the Official Opposition, click here.