Friday, May 28, 2021

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Q and A with the experts: What can the government and employers do to ensure employees with COVID symptoms stay home?

The University of Waterloo has a number of experts available for comment on various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There’s wide consensus that workers should not go to work when they have COVID symptoms, but what can the Canadian government and employers do to ensure this doesn’t happen? Mikal Skuterud, an economics professor, suggests ways to achieve this objective. 

How best can the policymakers ensure that workers don’t go to work when they have COVID symptoms?

There is no single policy that can ensure workers never go to work when experiencing COVID symptoms, but policy should do what it can to make the decision for workers to stay home as easy as possible.  That means providing workers with confidence that taking time off will not jeopardize their job security and will not result in lost pay. It also means being willing to force workplace closures where outbreaks occur. 

How does legislated paid leave work and what are the benefits and drawbacks?

Outside of a pandemic, governments are reluctant to legislate paid sick leave because guaranteeing workers a fixed number of paid days off for illness tends to increase employee absenteeism. The economics research also shows that paid sick leave policies increase discrimination in employee recruitment against applicants who are expected to take more sick days, such as workers with disabilities. Nonetheless, a health pandemic is not the time for governments or employers to worry about excessive absenteeism. 

How feasible is it for the government to compensate employers for employees’ time off due to COVID-related issues?

It is entirely feasible if the political will is there. Unfortunately, sick leave policies became a political football during the pandemic as proponents of provincially legislated paid sick leave have argued that the federal government’s sick leave policy – the Canadian Recovery Sickness Benefit – is inadequate. Sadly, this advocacy resulted in misinformation about the federal policy, as well as exaggerated claims about the efficacy of paid sick leave policies in mitigating workplace virus spread. This has likely distracted us from advocating for other measures that may be more effective, including antigen (rapid) testing and targeted vaccinations in workplaces. Fortunately, both Ontario and British Columbia have now legislated a minimum of 3 paid sick days for all workers, which addresses a key shortcoming of the federal policy. 

What more can employers do to protect their workers? 

Without question, our best chance of containing the COVID virus and its variants are vaccines. With the supply of vaccines expected to accelerate through the spring and summer, we will soon reach the point where the constraint isn’t supply, but vaccine hesitancy in the population. The single most effective measure employers can take to protect their workers and their businesses is to encourage their employees to get vaccinated and support them in taking time off work to get it done. 

Mikal Skuterud is a professor in the Economics department. His research focuses include the field of labour economics, especially in the areas of immigration policy, job search, and labour market regulations affecting the hours that people work.

Waterloo International and Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs engage with international prospective graduates

Waterloo International (WI) recently collaborated with Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) to showcase the University of Waterloo’s academic and research strengths, including graduate studies opportunities, to prospective graduate students and other stakeholders, from Latin America and Egypt. Both academic support units (ASUs) have a long history of working together, for instance through developing cotutelle programs.

Invited by external partners, WI and GSPA recently delivered two informative and interactive webinars held on April 15 and 22, 2021. The first webinar, titled “University of Waterloo: Connecting Imagination with Impact,” part of a CALDO Universities of Excellence webinar series, attracted more than 125 scholars, funding agencies, and industry leaders from Latin America.

The second webinar was held in conjunction with the Egyptian Bureau of Cultural & Educational Affairs, in Montréal. More than 150 participants from Egypt engaged in the webinar about Waterloo’s breadth and depth of academic and research excellence, with particular emphasis on its graduate programming and graduate student experience.

During these webinars, Professor Ian Rowlands, associate vice-president, International presented Waterloo’s breadth of activities, including descriptions of its six Faculties and introductions to its Research Centres and Institutes. Rowlands also highlighted the wealth of Waterloo’s international connections—inbound, outbound, and sustained—with a particular emphasis upon the unique character of Waterloo’s links with Latin America and Egypt, respectively. 

“It was a privilege—and a pleasure—to connect with hundreds of potential Waterloo students and potential Waterloo partners across multiple continents.  I am excited by the prospects of meaningful international engagement arising from these webinars,” said Professor Rowlands.

Professor Jeff Casello, associate vice-president, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs shared information on the academic excellence, the interdisciplinarity and innovation of Waterloo’s graduate programs, the comprehensive professional development opportunities available, and the diverse campus community.  

“Waterloo’s graduate programs are globally recognized and sought after by students. These engagements were exceptional opportunities to connect directly with interested students, who are often supported in their studies by their home governments to study internationally. Of course, these partnerships also advance Waterloo’s goals of creating a diverse community of learners and researchers,“ Professor Casello said.

Both AVPs led dynamic and engaging discussions and responded to many questions from participants. The complementary international interests of the two units – WI’s broad perspectives on Waterloo’s activities, and GSPA’s focus on programmes of interest to prospective graduate students – flowed well in the integrated presentation.  As the University adapts to an increased level of engagement in the virtual world, both units are committed to building upon the successes of these webinars into the future.

Waterloo International welcomes cross-campus collaborations aimed at advancing the University of Waterloo’s strategic internationalization goals. If you have questions related to internationalization or need assistance, support, or more information, please contact us at Waterloo International.