'We will closely monitor the effects of these changes,' says minister
On October 1, a significant change takes effect for workers in Prince Edward Island (PEI): the introduction of paid sick leave.
This development, part of amendments to the Employment Standards Act, will give island workers enhanced protections and financial security when dealing with illness.
Jenn Redmond, Minister of Workforce, Advanced Learning, and Population, emphasized the province’s commitment to improving employment standards, stating, “We are continuously working to make improvements to PEI’s employment standards. We will closely monitor the effects of these changes and the actions being taken across the country.”
The new provisions will be rolled out based on tenure, providing increasing days of paid leave depending on the employee’s length of service. The phased system grants employees:
- One day of paid sick leave after 12 months of continuous employment
- Two days of paid sick leave after 24 months of continuous employment
- Three days of paid sick leave after 36 months of continuous employment
Paid sick leave means that employees who qualify will receive their regular pay during their sick days, which applies both to hourly workers and salaried employees. Workers will be compensated based on the hours they would have worked had they not taken the leave, the news release noted. For salaried employees, the compensation will reflect their standard daily rate.
The new leave was announced in the spring of 2024, with critics saying it didn’t to far enough.
Worker benefits in PEI
While the new regulations around paid sick leave are a significant milestone, they build upon an existing framework of employee benefits in PEI.
Since 2010, workers with five or more years of continuous service with the same employer have been entitled to one day of paid sick leave per year, in addition to unpaid sick leave options.
In addition to paid sick leave, employees are still entitled to unpaid sick leave. Workers can take up to three days of unpaid sick leave after three months of continuous employment. If an employee takes more than three consecutive unpaid sick days, employers have the right to request a medical certificate to verify the illness.
