Human Resources committee  Sure, just to mention a couple of things with respect to gig workers and digital platform workers, as you just heard there, I think there is a desire to ensure that as the work proceeds there's thought both to labour protection as well as to other kinds of social protections that need be available to these workers.

Human Resources committee  I think the way to refer to this would be retrospective, and I'll clarify the distinction there. It would be looking at the period of time for which an employee has been working with an employer, and so that could be looking at a period of time that predates a coming into force, assuming that this comes into force.

Human Resources committee  Thank you. The amendment as moved would provide to employees referred to as having a sort of seniority—so having at least two years of experience with that employer—the ability to start at the outset with 10 days of medical leave with pay, without having to earn those in the first year.

Human Resources committee  As I'm understanding it.... There was one piece there in the amendment that I was not clear about, namely whether there is some requirement to obtain those first four days of medical leave with pay. However, my understanding is that it would ensure that people are not beginning with having to earn....

Human Resources committee  Good afternoon, Chair. I'd be happy to speak to that. As I understand it, the proposed amendment would provide for four days of medical leave with pay for employees. It was not 100% clear to me after what period of time that would be, or if there would be any period of time after which they would need to work to obtain those four days, and that subsequently they would continue to earn an additional day of medical leave with pay up to the maximum of 10—but after a 30-day period of continuous employment, rather than referring to completed months of employment as is referred to in the bill unamended.

Human Resources committee  According to the bill as drafted, the employee in that example will have to wait until May 1.

Human Resources committee  As the bill is drafted at the moment, employees who have not used all the days they have accumulated [technical difficulties], let's say eight days of paid sick leave during [technical difficulties]. On January 1, if employees have not used those days, they begin [technical difficulties] for paid sick days [technical difficulties] always possible to accumulate two other days up to the maximum of 10 days of paid sick leave.

Human Resources committee  Of course. If employees do not use days of sick leave in one calendar year, they start the next year with those days. They do not start again from zero, unless they have used all 10 days in the preceding year.

Human Resources committee  Thank you for the question. As the minister said, [technical difficulties] is indeed open to the idea of amending that aspect of Bill C‑3.

Human Resources committee  Thanks for that question as well. We absolutely heard the urgency from the minister this morning in reference particularly to the omicron variant that is showing up across the country. In terms of how it would be brought into force and how the benefits would flow through to the workers in the federally regulated sector, the bill would come into force by order in council by the coming into force date, which has not yet been determined.

Human Resources committee  Thank you for the question, Ms. Chabot. I would like to pass that to Douglas Wolfe. He will be able to answer your question about continuous employment.

Human Resources committee  Thanks for that question, Mr. Collins. In terms of how we landed upon that requirement for the medical certificate, I'd first like to note that it's not a general requirement. It is actually a tool that would allow employers to validate the medical leave requirement if necessary, so there isn't a requirement that an employee provide that medical note unless requested by their employer.

Human Resources committee  Thanks for those questions. I understand that in trying to understand better what stakeholders have had to say with respect to the requirement for a medical certificate, we have heard from a variety of stakeholders and, as you point out, particularly from some in the health profession.

Human Resources committee  It's Andrew Brown with the labour program at ESDC. I'll jump in on that. Thanks for the question, Member. What I would say there is that these are priorities that have been identified by the government, both in terms of providing support to workers as well as protecting health care workers and patients who are trying to access the health care system.

Human Resources committee  That's correct.