No New Brunswickers should have to choose between staying home sick and earning a day’s pay. Studies show that the benefits of paid sick days far outweigh the costs. A Centre for Future Work study found that adding paid sick days would increase business expenses by only 0.21 percent, while boosting productivity, retention, and morale. This means that the existence of paid sick leave would make workers recover faster, reduce the spread of illness, and keep workplaces running smoothly.
Other provinces have already taken steps. British Columbia gives workers five paid sick days a year, while Québec offers two. Prince Edward Island recently passed legislation that will increase from one to three days as workers stay longer with their employers. Employees in federally regulated workplaces get up to 10 paid medical leave days each year. Leaving New Brunswick one of the provinces that is falling behind.
To address this gap, on December 6, 2022, David Coon introduced Bill 27 (An Act to Amend the Employment Standards Act). This bill proposed to give every worker in New Brunswick up to 10 paid sick days each year after 90 days on the job. The bill also proposed a temporary financial support program to help small businesses cover any short-term costs.
After second reading, Bill 27 went to the Standing Committee on Law Amendments, which heard from worker groups, business owners, and community organizations in February 2023. The Committee later sent the bill to the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour (PETL) for further review.
On June 5, 2024, PETL released their report that followed stakeholder consultations. While the report found broad support for some form of paid sick leave, it ultimately did not make any recommendations to the government. As a result, Bill 27 was not implemented prior to the 2024 provincial election. Since the 2024 election, David has repeatedly called on the Holt government to act. In March 2025, he reintroduced a motion in the legislature urging the province to guarantee paid sick days. Last year Megan also asked PETL Minister Alyson Townsend whether she intends to implement paid sick days, as proposed by Bill 27.