Halton Hills, ON – The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted clear messages from all levels of government: ‘Stay home if you are not well’. However, under current legislation, the federal government and the Province’s Employment Standards Act, 2000 do not provide adequate sick leave provisions for workers, which may discourage them from staying home when ill. The issue resonated with Mayor Rick Bonnette who (following the lead of Halton Region), moved a motion at Monday’s Town Council meeting advocating that the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada “…provide longer, better funded sick leave to help address the ongoing spread of COVID-19.” “We want people to do the right thing and stay home,” said Mayor Rick Bonnette. “However, we can’t ignore the reality that there is a disproportionate number of people such as women, low-wage earners, racialized communities and precarious workers in jobs that do not offer a paid sick leave. This means, if they don’t work, they aren’t generating an income.” The Town’s motion identifies that people without access to paid sick days face barriers in adhering to COVID-19 protocols; specifically, “…due to fear of income loss and financial hardship”. The motion will be sent to the Prime Minister, Premier Ford, the Federal and Provincial Ministers of Health as well as local Federal and Provincial Members of Parliament and all the area municipalities.
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