MLA JINNY : BC’s Restart a careful, four-step plan to bring B.C. back together JW COMMENT: LIFE IS NOT EASY, BUT THAT IS LIFE

Supporting workers through our recovery
People shouldn’t have to lose out on pay or risk losing their job to protect their own health and improve the safety of our communities. We’re inviting British Columbians to provide input into the development of our made-in-B.C. permanent paid sick leave program.
 
Dear Community Member,
 
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted just how important it is to stay home from work when you are sick, in order to reduce the spread of illness, keep people healthy, and keep workplaces productive. But many people, especially those in lower-paying jobs without benefits, don’t have that choice – they can’t afford to lose wages by missing work.
 
Our government introduced three days of paid sick leave during the pandemic, to bridge the gap for people accessing the federal sickness benefit. At the same time, we committed to putting in place a permanent paid sick leave program, so that everyone can access paid sick days and stay home when they need to. This permanent program will come into effect in January 2022, but we want you to tell us what it should look like.
 
We want to make sure this program reflects the needs and experiences of people in B.C., so we’re inviting both workers and employers to participate in a short survey to help us shape the program. Go to engage.gov.bc.ca/paidsickleave/ to participate – the survey is open until September 14. Whether you currently have paid sick days at your workplace or not, we want to hear from you. The survey should only take a few minutes and doesn’t ask for any personal information. All the responses will be kept confidential.
 
As our economy continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, we also want to make sure that people whose employment was impacted are recovering as well. That’s why we’ve announced an investment of $95 million in skills training programs to support over 9,000 people across the province.
 
We’re helping people to re-skill or up-skill so they can find the right job for themselves and support themselves and their families while also boosting our local economies. If you or someone you know is unemployed or under-employed and looking to learn new skills, visit this link to see programs that are available.