Employee health care in the workplace is top of mind as the push to increase paid sick days gathers momentum; employer health care, however, appears to have far less priority for politically sensitive decision-makers.
Doctors, economists and assorted health experts want B.C.’s government to set the bar provincially by legislating a “robust” sick-leave program that would provide employees with at least 10 employer-paid sick days. This would follow the lead of the federal government, which has already committed to that total for workers in federally regulated industries.
Advocates argue that the absence of paid sick days costs the economy through presenteeism, a term used to describe instances when employees report for work while they are sick, potentially spreading their illnesses and lowering workplace productivity.
This is a valid concern for employers and employees.
However, presenteeism matters little to either if there is no workplace to be present in.
That is the overriding worry for organizations like the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). It points out that, regardless of its workplace benefits, local businesses cannot afford the new sick-day program set to come into effect in January.
According to a CFIB survey, 64% of small businesses in B.C. oppose any permanent employer-paid sick leave program.
Many continue to be on varying forms of fiscal life-support in the COVID era; many more cannot find enough employees, sick or other, to kick-start their recovery.
According to the CFIB, government consultation on paid sick days amounted to little more than asking business owners if they could afford a three-day, five-day or 10-day paid sick day program.
No zero paid sick day option was offered.
If it is not already obvious to governments and workers, the economic reality in the marketplace is that there will be no paid working days, let alone paid sick days, if there are no healthy businesses.
