People like truckers would abuse paid sick leave in the private sector, Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan’s office in said correspondence with a senator..Blacklock’s Reporter said the letter claimed employees like truck drivers would take advantage of automatic benefits such as 10 days’ paid sick leave per year..“Providing all 10 days of medical leave with pay up front could impose costs on employers in high turnover industries, such as road transportation, where employees change employers frequently,” wrote O’Regan’s staff..“By accumulating paid leave throughout the year, new and departing employees would receive days of medical leave with pay for the months they are with a particular employer.”.The written remarks were to Sen. Dennis Patterson (Nunavut). Patterson tabled the letter as an exhibit with the Senate social affairs committee..Parliament on December 16 passed Bill C-3 to mandate 10 days’ paid sick leave in the federally-regulated private sector like airports, railways and cross-border trucking companies..The bill required workers accumulate days at the rate of one per month without banking unused time from one year to the next..“It doesn’t necessarily take 10 months for someone to have to get sick to be able to use those 10 days and the question was raised: Why did you take that approach as opposed to have somebody start with 10 days and then use them up?” Sen. Patricia Bovey (Man.) told a December 13 hearing of the social affairs committee..O’Regan at the time claimed he welcomed suggestions..“Those are areas where I think we would be open to suggestions,” said O’Regan..“What I would say is give it to me in writing so we can take a look at it.”.However, O’Regan’s office in subsequent correspondence said the point of incremental sick days was “limiting costs on employers in high turnover industries.”.The labour department did not adopt any amendments to its bill..Sen. Frances Lankin (Ont.) told the committee that restricting claims for paid sick days “carries with it the stigma of people abusing sick leave, and that is not what the evidence suggests.”.Most workers entitled to paid sick leave take “much less” time than 10 days annually, said Lankin.
