Premier says sick days shouldn’t be paid
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Doug Ford says employers can’t afford to pay employees for sick days. Critics say the Ontario Premier is treading on employee rights and workplace protections. Ford is aiming to blackball the former Liberal government’s Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act which would hike the minimum wage to $15 come this Jan. 1 and would make employers pay employees for two emergency leave days each year. Ford called the act worse than carbon tax.
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Figures from Statistics Canada, however, show that over the last year, employment in Ontario has increased by more than 1 per cent and total hours worked have also increased since the bill’s enactment last January. But Andrea Horwath, leader of the NDP says Ontarians who are expecting the minimum wage to rise from $14 to $15 in January better be prepared for that not to happen. Both she and Liberal leader John Fraser say that the Tories are not acting in the best interests of Ontario workers.
Ford did say his government would protect the $14 an hour minimum wage instilled by the past Liberal government. He also said he would lower hydro rates and gas prices by 10 cent a litre. He views these decisions as protecting front-line workers.
Employee rights are well-defined in Ontario. Employees who believe their rights have been violated might benefit from talking to an employee rights lawyer. Laws governing human rights and employment can be confusing and complicated. A lawyer may be able to explain these laws to his or her clients and how they pertain to their unique situations.
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