BC Is Now Giving Out The Most Paid Sick Days In Canada & Here's Who Gets To Use Them

People in B.C. are going to be able to get five days of paid sick days a year, starting January 1, 2022.

According to the government, B.C. is the first province in Canada to legislate this level of paid time off for workers who fall sick.

It will apply to everyone under the Employment Standards Act, as a minimum amount of days, including part-time workers.

They also said that during the pandemic, companies that had sick leave saw less transmission of COVID-19.

The province gathered information from businesses and employees to determine the right amount, landing on five days.

The hope of this new standard is that people will feel encouraged, and able, to stay home when they are feeling sick.

These paid sick days are also on top of the three unpaid sick days that are already provided. So in total, you are able to take eight days of sick leave for illness or injuries.

Right now, more than one million workers don't have paid sick leave in B.C. These are more often women or racialized workers, the B.C. government said.

This paid leave is going to apply to anyone covered by the Employment Standards Act. So if you are self-employed, working in a federally regulated sector or in any job not covered, then these paid sick days are not mandatory.