Retail Workers Face Jumble of Corporate Sick-Pay Policies Amid Omicron Surge
Krashinsky Robertson, S. (2022, January 14). Retail workers face jumble of corporate sick-pay policies amid Omicron surge. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-retail-workers-face-jumble-of-corporate-sick-pay-policies-amid-omicron/ ; UTL Link: http://myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fnewspapers%2Fworkers-retailers-face-confusion-over-pandemic%2Fdocview%2F2619653862%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D14771
Susan Krashinsky Robertson writes: "Many Canadian provinces require people to isolate for five days if they experience COVID-19 symptoms. But while provinces such as B.C. and Ontario have mandated some paid sick days, and federal programs such as the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit also help with financial support for missing work, retail employees who deal with the public every day do not always know what is available to them. And some say employers should do more to make policies clear to their workers."
"Companies have a responsibility to tell employees about the government support available, in addition to being clear about their own sick-leave programs, Mr. McNaughton said. (The Ontario COVID-19 Worker Income Protection Benefit mandates up to $200 payment per day for three days of an employee’s absence related to COVID. Employers can apply to the province to be reimbursed. B.C. has also mandated paid leave, up to five days.)...Grocers have been at the forefront of concerns about support for workers throughout the pandemic, because of the scale of their operations, and because the essential services they provide have continued to drive traffic to their stores – even as people curtail other outings when case numbers rise."
Additional Information
Ontario COVID-19 Worker Income Protection Benefit. Ontario. https://www.ontario.ca/page/covid-19-worker-income-protection-benefit
Quenneville, G. & Anand, A. (2022, January 12). What it's like for retail workers still clocking in during Omicron. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-grocery-stores-covid-19-omicron-staffing-shortages-1.6311042
Kent, P., McCormack, R., & Zunker, T. (2021). Employee disclosures in the grocery industry before the COVID‐19 pandemic. Accounting and Finance, 61(3), 4833–4858. https://doi.org/10.1111/acfi.12755 Open Access
Photo Source: Osorio, C. (2021). A sign for Loblaws in Toronto [Photograph]. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-retail-workers-face-jumble-of-corporate-sick-pay-policies-amid-omicron/
