Paid sick leave, higher wages, more recycling: P.E.I. legislative changes on Oct. 1

Some Islanders will be earning a bit more starting Tuesday, as the minimum wage is set to increase for the second time this year.

The lowest amount an hourly worker can earn will jump from $15.40 to $16at the start of the month. This follows an increase on April 1 from $15an hour.

But that isn't the only change taking place as the calendar page turns overto October.

The province's paid sick leave legislation also comes into effect, meaning some employees will now be eligible forup to three paid sick days per year.

Years of discussion

MLAs first started discussions about sick daysin 2022 when the Green Party put forward an unsuccessful bill to mandate10 paid leave days for all Islanders.

Previously, employees were only entitled to one day of paid sick leave, and three unpaid days, after working for more than five years for the same employer.

In 2023, the Liberals put forward a billfor five days of paid sick leave. The governing Progressive Conservatives worried this would cost businesses too much. After some debate,the legislation was amended to three days.

Eligibility for those days depends how long an employee hasbeen working.

Workers are entitled to one day of paid sick leave after 12 months of continuous employment. That increases to two days after 24 months, and to three days after 36 months.

P.E.I.'s Employment Standards Act was amended to say that workers must be paidtheir regular wage for the hours they would have worked that day.

How P.E.I.'s new paid sick-leave legislation will work

7 days ago

Duration 2:12

Starting on Oct. 1, workers on P.E.I. who haven't had coverage so far may be eligible for up to three paid sick days a year depending on how much they've worked. CBC's Cody MacKay takes a look at the new paid sick-leave legislation and explains how it might affect you.

Seasonal workers, gig workers and temporary foreign workers won't benefit from the change, and neither will employees who already getthree or morepaid sick days each year as part of their employment package.

Employees who work at least three months for the same employer will be entitled to three unpaid sick days a year. Once they're eligible for paid leave days, after 12 months of service, thosewill be given first.

The one-year period for eligibility doesn'tnecessarily have to fall within the calendar year, either.It could begin from an employee's start date,or another period that the employer chooses.

The employer can ask for a "medical certificate"if an employee takes three consecutive sick days, and there's no requirement for employersto carry the days over from one year to another.

As for whether the number of paid sick days could increase in the future, Workforce MinisterJenn Redmond said this is a good "first step."

"I think that workers, those that are going to be impacted from this, are feeling quite positive about it," she said.

Electronic recycling expanding

Oct. 1 also happens to be the day that P.E.I. expands its Electronic Recycling Program to include physical fitness devices and small wearable electronic devices.

Things like e-bikes, e-scooters, elliptical machines, treadmills, pedometers and smart watches can all now be recycled.Items that are embedded in fabric will not be accepted.

The province says this change is due to continued success of the program's expansion in 2021to include small appliances like coffee makers and toasters.

"P.E.I. will be the first jurisdiction in Atlantic Canada to include these types of products in their electronics recycling program," said Environment Minister Steven Myers in a news release.

"We have had great uptake in our e-bike rebates, so it only makes sense to plan ahead for the end of life of this equipment. Islanders will have a safe and easy option to keep electronic equipment like this out of landfills."