Better paid sick day policies needed to stop the spread of COVID-19

“Stay home when sick” has been a commonly used phrase throughout the COVID-19 pandemic; Canadian public health recommendations emphasize the importance of staying home when experiencing symptoms, as this method is one of the most effective strategies to stop the spread of COVID-19. However, this recommendation often falls short without public policies that allow individuals to do just that – namely the lack of paid sick days. The federal government recently stated that no one should “have to choose between protecting their health, putting food on the table, paying for their medication or caring for a family member.” According to a report issued earlier this year by the Decent Work & Health Network, 58% of Canadian workers do not have a single paid sick day – with provinces varying from 51% to 61%. This number jumps to 70% for low-wage workers making less than $25,000. Therefore, the statement released by the federal government is unfortunately not applicable to many Canadians whose lack of paid sick days has been exacerbated by the hardships of the global pandemic.

Who is primarily affected? Income and working conditions are generally among the leading social determinants of health, and predictably, low-wage workers have been hit the hardest. The Decent Work & Health Network reports that workers in low-wage jobs are more likely to have no paid sick days; these positions are also disproportionately held by racialized workers, women, and workers with disabilities. In addition, many of these low-wage workers are in front-line positions with a high-risk of exposure to COVID-19, including cleaners, care workers, and grocery store workers. As a result, the lack of policy-mandated paid sick leave denies paid sick days to the frontline workers that need it most. Public health units have classified workplaces as hotspots for the spread of COVID-19, and depriving these workers of paid sick days increases the risk of transmission.

How do paid sick days curb the spread of COVID-19? The International Labour Organization highlights that “the absence of paid sick days forces ill workers to decide between caring for their health or losing jobs and income, choosing between deteriorating health and risking to impoverish themselves and often their families.” Workers without paid sick days are 1.5 times more likely to work with a contagious illness, including workers operating in high-risk settings such as child care, long-term care, or food handling. As a result, the lack of paid sick days prevents people from having the required time to fully recover, increasing community spread and posing a threat to public health. Implementing universal paid sick days is essential as studies suggest paid sick days drastically reduce the spread of infectious disease; for example, in the United States, “cities with sick pay mandates reduced the flu rate by up to 40% in comparison to cities without.”

What about the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit? In October of 2020, the federal government introduced the Canadian Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) for those who are not able to work for at least 50 percent of the workweek due to COVID-19. Those that are eligible are entitled to receive $450 per week for a maximum of two weeks anytime between September 27, 2020 to September 25, 2021. Announced on February 19, 2021, the government of Canada plans to increase the eligible time period from two weeks to four weeks. The CRSB was designed to make it easier for workers to follow public health recommendations and urge those experiencing symptoms to stay home. However, many workers’ advocacy groups, public health professionals, and policy experts say this program falls short of what is necessary to considerably curb the virus. President of the Ontario Federation of Labour, Patty Coates, explains that these payments are paid out only when workers apply and receive the payment days or weeks after losing their income. This can act as a barrier for those who do not have the luxury to wait, or those who do not know how to apply or face accessibility issues. Alternatively, provincially mandated paid sick days would automatically be applied to the worker’s pay cheque – a much more accessible and equitable option.

Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, refused to consider a paid sick leave policy in Ontario – which his government stripped in 2018 – stating the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit offered through the federal government is sufficient. Monte McNaughton, Ontario’s Labour minister, contacted the federal Employment Minister, Carla Qualtrough, asking the federal government to amplify the CRSB by raising further awareness and providing applicants access to their funds quicker. Qualtrough’s response emphasized that the CSRB is not a complete substitution for paid sick leave, stating that “Enhancing provisions for paid sick leave within provincial jurisdictions is not duplicative of federal programs, but rather serve in a complementary manner, providing important options to Canadian workers.” Labour unions, various mayors in Ontario, and public health experts including Theresa Tam and Eileen de Villa have called upon provincial governments to implement these changes and create a well-designed paid sick leave policy to ensure workers can stay home when they are sick.

It is also important to note Carla Qualtrough's office stated that those who apply for CSRB should receive the benefit in three to five business days by direct deposit or 10-12 business days by mail. Still, the CSRB is not working as intended – the program was designed to reach nearly five million workers but has delivered benefits to just over 337,000 workers as of January 2021. With the added dangers of the new COVID-19 variants, policies must ensure that workers who are unwell, or think they could be, have the paid sick days needed to do the right thing and stay home. Paid sick days are a key social determinant of health necessary to ameliorate health inequities. These inequities have only been exacerbated by COVID-19 and need to be addressed so Canadians can adequately follow public health advice and minimize the spread of COVID-19.