Federal paid sick leave will come into effect on January 1st, 2022.
The BC Federation of Labour is launching a campaign aimed at encouraging the province to include ten days of employer-paid sick leave in its new permanent program.
President Laird Cronk says Canada is lagging behind a dozen other countries.
"Twenty out of 32 actually had at least 2 weeks of paid sick week and have for years, for decades. Places like New Zealand that has ten, places like Australia that has ten and places like Germany that has 30 days. Ten days over the course of a year for workers to make sure that they don't have to make the impossible choice between paying the bills and going to work sick, making others sick and then their families and communities sick."
The group has sent an open letter to top politicians requesting their support.
They say the move is good in an economic sense, health sense, worker sense and something that is long overdue.
"It's actually good for productivity, it's good for the workers, you get better quicker when you stay home, and you don't spread COVID, have an outbreak and possibly have a business shut down, which is economically horrific for the business,” said Cronk.
In places where studies have been conducted on permanent paid sick leave being available to workers, Cronk says there has been up to a 40% reduction in the spread of the flu in workplaces during flu season.
Rallies are planned for October 25th so workers can show their support.
That's also the deadline for Canadians to give feedback on the government’s website.