Changes to the Rules on Sick Leave

However, the elimination of sick leave by phone is far worse for wage earners living in one of the many regions with inadequate medical care. Here, our government is placing a completely unnecessary burden on doctors and patients instead of first doing its own job and ensuring comprehensive, high-quality primary care across the country.

Can this “reform” help reduce the number of sick days? Hardly! Anyone who drags themselves to work on Friday with a moderate cold—just to avoid the newly created bureaucratic hassle of getting a sick note—will ultimately ensure that even more colleagues are sick the following Monday and that their own recovery takes longer. Not to mention the long-term health consequences of letting a cold drag on.

What could really help? We actually have fairly good occupational safety and health regulations for businesses. However, there are almost never any consequences for business owners who fail to comply with them. Better enforcement of existing regulations in the workplace would be a measure that could truly help improve health.

For example, if an employer fails to take effective measures to protect workers from the heat, workplaces may have to be left empty on hot days. This could lead to a learning effect by next year and help prevent serious health consequences from working in extreme heat. However, it is clear that we cannot rely on the government in this regard!

For example, if you’re discussing ways to network more effectively within your workplace to advocate for your interests, or if you’re an individual who wants to get involved in a union and share ideas, please feel free to contact us!