B.C.'s premier has acknowledged that his government's "stopgap" policy of three days' paid sick leave was not enough for workers trying to balance health and financial concerns during the pandemic.
John Horgan was questioned during a news conference Thursday about a just-published report from the province's seniors advocate, which, among other findings, noted ties between COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care facilities and the sick-day policies for their employees.
The NDP government introduced a temporary policy in the spring, following outbreaks at other workplaces, in an effort to prevent those who felt ill from coming into work to ensure they still got a paycheque.
At the time, this policy for workers who don't already get paid sick leave from their employers was for three days. The thinking was this would allow enough time for someone with symptoms of the novel coronavirus to get tested and get their results before returning to the workplace.
The province is beginning to look at options for more permanent changes, with three days as one of the options. But is it enough?
Some would suggest not.
According to an internal poll, one in six of the 20,000 members of the Hospital Employees' Union said they'd used up all of their paid leave during the pandemic.
Horgan was asked if three days was adequate, and said that his government was hopeful at the time that it was.
"It didn't meet the test, quite frankly," he said. But he added it was meant as a stopgap as the province conducted larger consultations before committing to a permanent plan.
But his opinion doesn't mean that the longer-term solution will involve more days. He said it's an ongoing dialogue that includes both workers and employers, and as it will have a cost, it requires further analysis.
"We're going to try to find the best way to protect workers, to keep the economy going and to make sure that the costs of that are separated and spread around as best as they can be."
The premier denied having a preference for how many days will eventually be decided on, but acknowledged it was a challenge highlighted by the seniors advocate Wednesday.
In her report, Isobel Mackenzie noted several findings of an examination into the first year of the pandemic in B.C.
During this period, the deaths of more than 800 residents of long-term care and assisted living facilities in the province were attributed to COVID-19, and data she and her office gathered suggests sick leave was a key factor in many of the fatal outbreaks recorded.
- with files from CTV -