Seamus O'Regan, Minister of Labour and MP for St. John's South-Mount Pearl, speaks on the Confederation Constructing in St. John's on Feb. 14, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly
OTTAWA --
Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan says he plans to place paid sick depart on the agenda for a gathering along with his provincial and territorial counterparts to resolve a patchwork system of insurance policies and office tradition that will dissuade employees from staying dwelling when sick.
In late December, Parliament gave its approval to create 10 days of paid sick depart for federally regulated employees, who make up lower than one-tenth of all employees in Canada.
Work on the precise rules is about to start in early March with invitations to consultations set to exit Friday, simply as O'Regan is scheduled to satisfy along with his provincial and territorial counterparts.
O'Regan is being urged by one of many nation's largest labour organizations to push provincial and territorial governments towards replicating the federal coverage.
In an interview, O'Regan mentioned he plans to take heed to what his counterparts should say on how such a coverage might work of their jurisdiction, but additionally potential value tags for governments and employers.
However in making a public name for O'Regan and different labour ministers to create extra paid sick days for employees who do not have already got them as a part of their contracts, the Canadian Labour Congress additionally famous one other drawback with the nascent federal coverage.
The group's president, Bea Bruske, in an announcement mentioned some provincial applications had been underused by non-unionized workers, which was chalked as much as stress from employers.
O'Regan mentioned he is seeking to get the federal coverage enacted as shortly as attainable, however famous it could take longer for employees to take the time, and employers to push for it, as an alternative of toughing it out when sick.
"Therein lies the rub," he mentioned on the eve of the assembly. "How do you could have sure requirements in place and the mechanics in place, however on the identical time enable a point of flexibility?"
Discovering that stability is one thing O'Regan recognized in a number of areas he is been tasked to cope with by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, together with a federal coverage on what's often known as the "proper to disconnect."
The idea is one which the federal government thought of even earlier than the pandemic to supply tips about how employees can digitally untether themselves from the office after hours, slightly than at all times being linked to work emails and messages.
O'Regan's predecessor was warned in the summertime of an entrenched cut up between employer and labour teams who suggested the federal government on the weather of coverage.
Within the remaining report launched final month, corporations pushed a voluntary framework and employees requested for a extra mandated strategy, a cut up that O'Regan mentioned wasn't stunning.
Whereas the federal government types out its subsequent steps, O'Regan prompt employers and employees might wish to speak about a problem that the minister mentioned has been exacerbated by the pandemic as extra Canadians work remotely.
"It is an preliminary good first step to encourage employers and staff to start out speaking within the office a few proper to disconnect that will work on your office," he mentioned. "And in some unspecified time in the future, the federal government goes to have to return in, as a result of we mentioned we might, on a coverage, however I believe we're all struggling this."
That pressure on employees is one thing O'Regan can be anticipated to debate throughout Friday's assembly because the Liberal authorities seems to be so as to add psychological well being to office security rules within the federal labour code.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Feb. 25, 2022.
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