Millions of Ontario workers get no sick pay, but that could change

Working as a personal trainer at GoodLifeFitness in Toronto earlier this year, DeJanaiLove fainted, hit her head and suffered a concussion.

She saw her doctor, took the weekend off, then because she isn't paid if she calls in sick went back to the job.

"It was making me dizzy, the headaches were coming back and Icouldn't handle it," Love said Wednesday in an interview with CBC News. "So I told my doctor what was going on and she said, 'You need at least two weeks off.' So Ilet her know I can't do that, because I cannot afford to take time off."

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Love is just one of an estimated threemillion workers in Ontario who get no paid sick days. The province's workplace law does not require any employerto pay staff when they call in sick, but that could soon change.

Later this month, Premier Kathleen Wynne's government will release a report expected to recommendsweeping reforms to the province's employment laws. Sick pay is one of the items being reviewed, and advocacy groups are urging the Liberals tomandate seven paid sick daysper year for all full-time employees.

Paid sick days could help health system, advocates say

"There's clear health evidence that paid sick days are good for workers," said Dr. KateHayman, a Toronto emergency room physician and a member of an advocacy group called the Decent Work and Health Network."Right now in Ontario, so many people don't have access to them."

Haymansays shesees people every night who come to the emergency room for treatment of ongoing illnesses because they would lose pay if they took time off during thework day.

"People can't look after their health because we don't have the employment legislation in place to make sure that they can get the care they need," saidHaymanin an interview with CBC News.

She said peoplewho can't afford to miss a day's pay from illnesstypically go to work anyway.

"Food service workers often can't take time off work if they're sick, which means they're potentially spreading infectious illness like the stomach flu when they're serving you lunch or dinner," Hayman said.

Hayman points to research that suggests paid sick days would reduce burdens on Ontario's health system: people who get paid when they're sick are are more likely to go to their family doctor for (less costly) preventive care and less likely to use the (more expensive) emergency room.

GoodLife compensation 'competitive'

Studies by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the Poverty and Employment Precarity in Southern Ontario research group suggest 40 to 50 per cent of all workersin Ontario at least three million people are not entitled to paid sick days.

Officials withGoodLifeFitness declinedCBC'srequest for an interview on Wednesday but sent responses to questions byemail.

"The compensation package that our personal trainers receive is very competitive, and on average they are the highest-paid trainers in the Canadian fitness industry," Adam Roberts, a public relations specialist with the company, said in the email. "As with many employers, paid sick days don't form part of the compensation package."

GoodLifebills itself as the largest fitness company in Canada, with clubs in every province and more than 1.3 million members.

"It'stotallyunacceptable that a company asbig asGoodLifeshould be able to get away with notprovidingthese kind of basic benefits to workers," saidAdrieNaylorofWorkers United Canada, the union that represents Love and about 650 other GoodLife personal trainers.

"Massive companies likeGoodLifecan afford to provide paid sick days," saidNaylor."They only choose to do that when they're absolutely forced to do that by law."

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The union represents personal trainersat 47GoodLifeclubs in Toronto,Peterboroughand Ajax.In negotiations for a first contract,the union is proposing five paid sick days per year and the company is proposing zero,said Naylor.

Roberts acknowledged that paid sick days have come up in bargaining but declined to elaborate. "Weare in ongoing discussions with the union, and do not believe that it is productive for eitherGoodLifeor our Associates to negotiate in the media," he said in theemailedstatement.

"Trainers are routinely working when they're injured or whenthey'resick, which is something that's totally countertoGoodLIfe'sidea that everyone's going to live a healthy and good life," saidNaylor.

The argument in favour of paid sick days is exemplified by Love's situation, said Naylor, "where a trainer is forced between choosing to work while they're quite seriously injured or being able to pay rent and putfood on the table for their kids."

Love is the primary earner in her household, which includes five members of her extended family.

She saysher health is better now but she still can't do a full workout. She istaking fewer clients per dayand takingmore frequent rests.Personal trainers are notcovered by Ontario's Workplace Safety and Insurance Board for on-the-job injuries.

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"Knowing that I had paid sick days, that would make life easier," Love said. "We should be able to say, 'Ok, I can take todayoffand do what I have to do todayhealth-wise."

Love, who said she really enjoys her job, says she asked GoodLife's human resources department if there were any support it could offer, but got no response.

She wants to see the Ontario government change the law to force employers to provide sick pay.

"It shouldn't be too much to ask for a paid sick day,"said Love. "We're Canadian.It should be our right."