N.S. NDP promise to add 10 paid sick days to provincial Labour Standards Code
Nova Scotians will be given 10 paid sick days under an NDP government, says party Leader Gary Burrill ahead of the provincial election.
Burrill announced the proposed legislation on Saturday at the midpoint of the campaign for the province's 41st election, to be held Aug. 17.
The NDP plans on legislating the sick leave days as a part of the provincial Labour Standards Code in short order if they come into power, Burrill said.
The NDP's sick leave program won't require employees to have a doctor's note, he said, to avoid overworking the province's physicians with requests.
He also said studies have shown significant spread of the COVID-19 virus within workplace settings over the past year of the pandemic.
The province's sick leave program, which began on May 10 and expires Saturday, allowed Nova Scotians to qualify for up to four paid sick days.
During the program, businesses were tasked with applying for reimbursements for the employee's pay within 90 days of the leave.
The party leader said the legislation would help Nova Scotia's workers avoid "having to go to work not feeling 100 per cent knowing the risks that that involves, or (staying) home and know that you're going to be missing (pay)."
That same decision was faced by one early childhood educator, Leanne Partridge, during the course of the pandemic.
Partridge said Saturday she previously took two days off work to get tested for COVID-19 but with the end of the program, she's concerned about how she'll be able to take days off for her health in the future.
"Knowing that now I'm either going to have to use vacation days to cover sick days or just take the hit obviously isn't a great feeling," Partridge said.
"It's hard because I would never want to say I go into work sick, but sometimes it's a big decision to have to make."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
developing A bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Kinew, Poilievre meet at Manitoba legislature, discuss each other's priorities
Premier Wab Kinew and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre met at the Manitoba legislature Thursday afternoon.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.