Starting Oct. 1, 2024, workers in Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) will gain access to paid sick leave, marking a significant update to the province’s Employment Standards Act.
This legislative change allows employees to accumulate up to three days of paid sick leave, with the exact number depending on the duration of their continuous employment with the same employer.
According to the recent amendments, employees will be entitled to one day of paid sick leave after 12 months of continuous employment, two days after 24 months, and three days after 36 months. Prior to this, employees could take up to three days of unpaid sick leave annually, after three months of continuous service.
Now, they are also guaranteed their regular rate of pay for the hours they would have worked on a sick day, enhancing worker benefits significantly.
Minister of Workforce, Advanced Learning and Population Jenn Redmond commented, “With the shifting landscape on paid sick leave across the country, proclaiming a date to make the changes to our employment legislation come into effect is a step in the right direction. We know there will be more important conversations on paid sick days, and we will continue to approach them in a fair and balanced way for all parties involved.”
However, the introduction of paid sick leave has sparked criticism from UFCW Local 864, which represents various private-sector workers across PEI.
The union applauds the move towards paid sick leave but expresses disappointment that the new benefits exclude unionized workers.
UFCW Canada’s Atlantic Regional Director, Craig Walsh, stated, “To allow three paid sick-days to all workers except those who are unionized is unnecessary union-busting… By leaving unionized workplaces out of this legislation, the provincial government is essentially punishing workers who have organized to have a democratic voice in their workplace.”
Walsh emphasizes the essential nature of paid sick days, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the need for such policies to cover all workers without exception. The union and the PEI Federation of Labour are now seeking to amend the legislation to extend paid sick leave benefits to every worker, aiming to mitigate health risks and ensure economic security for all.
