The Health Employers Association of B.C. (HEABC) has agreed to provide casual employees with up to three COVID-related paid sick days until the end of 2021.
The move comes after the provincial government amended the Employment Standards Act (ESA) to provide for three COVID-related paid sick days until the end of 2021.
HEABC will provide casual employees up to three paid sick days for COVID-related reasons if they cannot work their accepted shift or have been directed by their employer not to work.
To qualify for the three sick days, casuals need to be either diagnosed with COVID-19, quarantining or in self-isolation under public health direction, or be directed not to work by their employer due to COVID-19 exposure risk.
Casuals will not be able to access the leave if they cannot work because they are caring for someone else who has COVID-19; providing care because of a school or daycare closure; or unable to return to work due to isolation requirements from travelling.
Members working with casual or probationary status in Community Social Services under a collective agreement with the Community Social Services Employers Association (CSSEA) may also have access to three COVID-19-related paid sick days.
CSSEA is recommending to their member employers that they provide the three paid sick days to casual and probationary employees under certain conditions.
HEU encourages any worker missing work due to a possible COVID-19 infection, casuals included, to file a Workers Compensation Board (WCB) claim. HEU has posted easy to follow instructions on how to file.
No worker should be forced to choose between working when they’re sick, or facing serious financial hardship. Join the BC Federation of Labour’s campaign for guaranteed 10 days of paid sick leave.