This slide-show presentation was put together by Dr. J. McLaren, a Toronto emergency physician who is a member of the Decent Work and Health Network (https://www.decentworkandhealth.org/).

1. “The bottom line:
no one is protected
until everyone is
protected.”
Dr. Theresa Tam
Chief Public Health
Officer of Canada

2. Precarious work  LTC crisis
• “Workers in low-income occupations are working
in jobs that put them at greater risk; this is
particularly true for women, immigrants, and
racialized workers…
• These disadvantages include economic and
employment insecurity, a lack of paid sick leave,
and the need to work multiple jobs to make ends
meet. For example, these factors were identified
as consequential for personal support workers in
long-term care homes.”

3. Migrant workers denied protections
• “There have been a number of outbreaks in Canada
related to meat processing and agricultural workplace
settings, which are common employment sites for
migrant workers and temporary foreign workers…
• “Advocates for migrant workers have pointed to
structural issues such as the dependence on employers
for housing and sanitation.”
• “We need to ensure good pay and conditions for
every worker along the food production chain, while
also addressing the specific needs of temporary foreign
workers.”

4. How to “stay home when sick”
• “Only 42% of working Canadians who are older than 18
years reported having access to paid sick leave
• “Without paid sick leave, employees may lose income
if they become ill and are unable to work. Without
employment security, they may lose their jobs if they
stay home when sick. In either case, and particularly if
they are economically insecure, workers may feel
unable to comply with public health guidance to stay
home when sick.”
• “Paid sick leave is also essential to protect worker and
community health.”

5. Areas for action

6. “While the COVID-19 pandemic affects us all, the
health impacts have been worse for seniors,
essential workers, racialized populations, people
living with disabilities and women.
We need to improve the health, social and
economic conditions for these populations to
achieve health equity and to protect us all from
the threat of COVID-19 and future pandemics.”
Dr. Theresa Tam
Chief Public Health Officer of Canada