Article: https://www.benefitscanada.com/news/a-refresher-on-canadas-leave-policies-as-coronavirus-escalates-143548 *PUBLISHED MARCH 13 2020. CHANGES TO POLICY MAY HAVE BEEN MADE SINCE
With COVID-19 increasing at a rapid pace, there has to be a look at the workplace-leave policies for employees in order to maintain optimal public health. Policies need to be adjusted and governments need to reconsider paid leave positions. Justin Trudeau and government are waiving the waiting period for benefits for those who are off of work due to illness. Although the Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh said more than half of Canadian workers wouldn’t be helped by that. This is a very important issue as it can have the potential to affect the lives of millions of Canadians and their families. It is not enough for the government to ask individuals to just stay home if they’re worried they are infected by COVID-19. If staying at home means not receiving an income, many may make the choice to work even if they are experiencing symptoms, thus potentially increasing the spread of this coronavirus. Canada must do better to provide their workers with an option to maintain their health while still receiving financial care, which will lessen the impact of COVID-19.
In the United States, Walmart Inc. introduced an emergency leave policy, meaning hourly staff will receive up to two weeks of pay if quarantined or if diagnosed with COVID-19. If they are unable to return to work additional pay may be provided for 26 weeks. Walmart’s senior vice-president claims “we are looking to provide some additional support so employees can better weather these times”. This would be extremely beneficial to many workers, lifting a weight off their chest and could be a potential option for some companies in Canada.
In Canada, there have been many different bills and standards set out in different provinces related to sick-leave. In 2017, Ontario expanded personal emergency leave to 10 days per year with two days paid. In Alberta in 2018, the province standard was five days of unpaid leave for personal emergencies, and 16 weeks of unpaid leave for long-term illness or injury.
During the H1N1 Outbreak in 2009, Nova Scotia amended its labour standards code to create an unpaid emergency leave in response to concerns about the pandemic.
This graphic displays how COVID-19 is more infectious than H1N1, meaning a policy is needed to be put in place for workplace leave alike what Nova Scotia did for the Swine Flu in 2009, but more drastic.
COVID-19 highlights the need for these types of provisions. It has been suggested that the government should give 14 paid sick days every year. The suggestion of 14 days is because a typical COVID-19 related quarantine lasts for a 14-day period [2]. This pandemic was an unexpected, progressive outbreak, which means the government is trying to fix issues like this as quick as they can. The policies and legislations will continute to change as this virus spreads, meaning there is no one right answer on how to fix workplace-leave policies as this is an extreme emergency situation. Canada must consider their citizen’s health, while keeping into consideration that their financial status may be on the top of their priorities, and not their indvidual health. Financial aid needs to be provided in order for those positive with COVID-19 to self-isolate and recover to lessen the impact of this viral outbreak.
References
[1] Benefits Canada. (2020, March 13). A refresher on Canada’s leave policies as coronavirus escalates. Retrieved from https://www.benefitscanada.com/news/a-refresher-on-canadas-leave-policies-as-coronavirus-escalates-143548
[2] Cornell Health. (2020, March). Quarantine for COVID-19. Retrieved from https://health.cornell.edu/resources/health-topics/quarantine-covid-19
[3] Stephens, T. (2020, February 26). Coronavirus: Head-shaking doctors and non-hand-shaking workers. Retrieved from https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/covid-19_coronavirus–head-shaking-doctors-and-non-hand-shaking-workers/45580772
Maddie's Blog 
Hi Maddie!
Really good job on you post! It is interesting to see the progress Canada has made since your post was made. As you may be aware PM Trudeau recently announced more income insurance for those who are the most vulnerable within society. I will leave a link to a website that demonstrates how Canada is taking steps to insure that people do stress too much about their finances.
With that being said, do you find these measures to be appropriate? In other words, do you think the Canadian government is doing everything they can to ensure safety among their citizens?
I believe that the government is doing the best they can under these circumstances. As you said, this pandemic spurred on very quickly, and it is hard to work under such conditions.
Again, really good post!
Abi
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2020/03/canadas-covid-19-economic-response-plan-support-for-canadians-and-businesses.html#Income_Support_for
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Going into this post I knew there were going to be dramatic changes in policy by the time I would be receiving comments and going to submit my Web Blogs The government is definitely acting as quick as they can with new updates and information on this pandemic becoming available everyday.
I am more than happy to hear the advances that the Canadian government is making. The link that you posted was a very interesting read. I believe that the government is doing as much as they can with the circumstances given. Sure, there may be other health and safety practices that can be put in place, but as of now the government is taking small steps to ensure safety, and I believe if they continue with this, we will see a big change in the health and safety of all.
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Hi Maddie! Thank you for the amazing post. I agree that the government should take a more hands-on approach to try and contain this issue, especially amongst workplaces and companies. I also enjoyed how you linked the current outbreak with the swine flu virus in 2009, illuminating possible solutions and measures that were taken during that outbreak. I believe Canada has been handling this issue rather well given the circumstances and when compared to other countries, however, I do not agree with everything that is being done to contain the spread and plank the curve. Once again, thank you for the wonderful and well thought of the post.
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Thank you for your feedback. New policies are being put in place everyday that is bettering our society and I hope that these changes continue! I hope all is well with you and your loved ones and that you’re staying healthy during this time.
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