Legislation quickly passed to protect workers hit by COVID-19

On Tuesday, the Saskatchewan government quickly introduced, read, passed, and brought into force amendments to the Employment Act to protect workers affected by COVID-19.

The amendments would protect workers’ jobs if they have to isolate themselves because of their own exposure or a family members’ exposure to a disease.

“We think it’s important for employees to know that the stability of their job security will continue throughout,” said provincial Labour Minister Don Morgan.

The amendments remove the requirement that a worker would have to be employed for 13 weeks and remove the provision for a doctor’s note. The changes are retroactive to March 6.

The new leave comes into play when there’s a public health emergency, as determined by the WHO, and the province’s chief medical health officer issues orders, and when the health officer issues an order that measures be taken to reduce the spread of a disease where there’s a risk of harm to citizens.

Morgan said this will help most people who haven’t worked in a while, new employees and part-time workers.

The leave isn’t paid. Morgan said no other jurisdiction has been able to figure that out.

“A lot of workers will have paid sick time, or will get compensation from employment insurance if they’ve worked for the 13 weeks, and we understand the federal government may be looking to reduce or change that,” said Morgan.

Morgan said the federal government has introduced measures — and could still introduce more measures — to help workers financially.

While workers wouldn’t have to have a doctor’s note, they would have to have an order to isolate from the chief medical health officer.

Opposition NDP Leader Ryan Meili said his party supports the bill, but more needs to be done.

“We need that financial aid package put in place that includes making sure that if you’re staying home from work you don’t just have a job to go back to, but you actually have enough money for the couple weeks that you’re off work to be able to pay your bills and stay whole,” said Meili.