Employees in Saskatchewan feel their workplace is an unsafe environment and can refuse to work in light of the recent global pandemic COVID-19. Many frontline workers are currently in direct harm due to their exposure with treating patients and members of the community who have/may have COVID-19. Although, amongst healthcare professionals this is an understood risk and to an extent is apart of their duty to care for patients and provide support to those in need within reasonable limits. Continually, these reasonable limits are being pushed due to the lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) like face masks and gloves being provided to healthcare professionals currently working on the frontlines. Moreover, due to this shortage many workers are feeling that their safety is at an increased risk, and are being brushed off due to the dire need of Healthcare staff during this time (Latimer, 2020).
Specially in Saskatchewan, workers have expressed their discomfort with working in an environment with increased risk and less protective measures like PPE being available. Consequently, in the Saskatchewan Employment Act, a section outlines safety in the workplace and that “everyone must have the Authority, resources, and time to carry them out” (Saskatchewan). Futhermore, PPE would be identified as a crucial and vital resource for healthcare professionals especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has left workers with the ability to make the decision to not work if they feel that resources are not available to properly conduct their work. This safety clause is standards amongst Canadian provincial Acts and can be found in many other provincial employment acts like Ontario’s standards act, which emphasizes your “right to work in safe and healthy workplace” (Ministry of Labour, 2014).
Stricter measure should be implemented to ensure healthcare professionals are being supplied with adequate PPE while interacting with patients to ensure their own health and to prevent the spread further. Continually, as recognized by employment acts nationwide, workers are entitled to their safety of self while working and are to be supplied with resources to ensure their safety. Yet, in our current stance, healthcare professionals are often asked to disregard proper use of PPE (including reuse) while working to be able to support the patients in need, which unfortunately places our healthcare workers in greater risk due to the misuse of PPE. Employers of healthcare professionals should be placing greater efforts to secure PPE to provide to frontline workers during these times. Employers should not be asking workers to place themselves in a situation where PPE misuse is encouraged while placing themselves in greater risk while treating patients who may/may not have COVID-19. Continually, workers should also express if necessary their rights towards having the capacity to not work if adequate resources are not provided, without the capacity to lose their jobs.
Sources:
Latimer, K. (2020, March 25). Sask. employees can refuse to do unsafe or ‘scary’ work during pandemic | CBC News. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/sask-employees-right-to-refuse-1.5508819
Ministry of Labour. (2014, March). Workplace Rights. Retrieved from https://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/atwork/workplacerights_fs.php
Saskatchewan. (n.d.). Occupational Health and Safety Division. Retrieved April 3, 2020, from https://www.saskatchewan.ca/business/safety-in-the-workplace/rights-and-responsibilities-in-the-workplace
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