Blog Post #1048 – Province of Saskatchewan Gets Paid Job Leave

Province of Saskatchewan Gets Paid Job Leave

Excerpt from the OH&S Canada magazine

Saskatchewan legislature has introduced and passed paid job leave for survivors of interpersonal and sexual violence on May 13, 2019.

Employees can now take five pay days and five unpaid days under Bill 172, the Saskatchewan employment (Paid Interpersonal Violence and Sexual Violence Leave) Amendment Act, 2019, which is expected to take effect upon Royal assent in mid-May. Previously, employees could only take a 10-Day unpaid leave.

“All forms of interpersonal and sexual violence are unacceptable,” Labour Relations and workplace safety Minister Don Morgan says in his statement. “We hope that allowing for survivors to take five days leave without the financial worries will make it easier for them to do so.”

To be eligible, an employee or his or her child or a person for whom an employee is a caregiver must be the victim of interpersonal or sexual violence and requires time off work to do the following: seek medical attention; obtain services from a victims’ services organizations; seek psychological or other professional services; relocate temporarily or permanently; seek legal or law enforcement assistance; and attend court appearances.

Employees must have worked for an employer for at least 13 weeks and may be required to provide evidence of the services received. Employers are required to keep personal information confidential, the statement adds.

My opinion

This is almost word-for-word of the standards in Ontario which I have listed below,

“Employees who have been employed by their employer for at least 13 consecutive weeks are entitled to domestic or sexual violence leave if the employee or the employee’s child has experienced or been threatened with domestic or sexual violence, and the leave is taken for any of the following purposes:

• To seek medical attention for the employee or the child of the employee because of a physical or psychological injury or disability caused by the domestic or sexual violence
• To access services from a victim services organization for the employee or the child of the employee
• To have psychological or other professional counselling for the employee or the child of the employee
• To move temporarily or permanently
• To seek legal or law enforcement assistance, including making a police report or getting ready for or participating in a family court, civil or criminal trial related to or resulting from the domestic or sexual violence

An employee is not entitled to this leave if the employee committed the domestic or sexual violence.” (Ministry of Labour (MOL) website)

There are a few differences as well.

“Domestic or sexual violence leave is a job-protected leave of absence. It provides up to 10 days and 15 weeks in a calendar year of time off to be taken for specific purposes when an employee or an employee’s child has experienced or been threatened with domestic or sexual violence. The first five days of leave taken in a calendar year are paid, and the rest are unpaid.” (MOL website)

It is sad that there is a real problem out there and a need to have the provinces do something about it.

HRS Group Inc. has a great team that can help you with all your health and safety needs. Contact Deborah toll free at 1-877-907-7744 or locally at 705-749-1259.

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Daniel L. Beal

CHSEP – Advanced Level
VP & Senior Trainer
HRS Group Inc.