The Policy Intersection of Work and Public Health: Paid Sick Leave as a way to Strengthen Evidence-Informed Decision-Making to Improve Health Equity and Population Health

The importance of a strong public health sector has been made clear throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health is a field that aims to improve the health of populations in many ways. In addition to managing outbreaks, public health is increasingly focusing on determinants of health, such as work conditions, income, and immigration status, as well as structural factors such as racism and colonialism. However, during the pandemic, many public health measures required individual actions without the system level changes needed to support those actions. As the pandemic progressed, it became clear that some public health measures were not as effective as they could have been because of long-standing social and economic inequities. Unfortunately, there was - and still is - little evidence to guide policy-makers on ways to enact social and economic policies that would decrease the risk of Covid-19 transmission. This absence contributed to many being unable to follow measures that put the burden of responsibility on the individual. For example, workers who were income-deprived and/or lacked immigration status were at far higher risk of acquiring COVID-19 infection and yet had fewer supports to adhere to public health requirements. New approaches where public health makes evidence-informed recommendations on social and economic policies, particularly related to the health of precarious workers, are key to improving the health of both precarious workers as well as all residents in Canada. The objective of this research is to examine perspectives of precarious workers and public health physicians related to the necessity and feasibility of paid sick days as a public health measure. By understanding how public health can more effectively influence policies through working in solidarity with community labour justice organizers, there will be an anticipated impact of stronger partnerships, improved public health policies, and ultimately, better population health.