All provinces and territories in Canada may soon be adopting new rules surrounding sick leave upon the recommendation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is now calling for 10 days of paid leave to become the new standard nationwide.

Paid sick leave was always necessary. U should not have to go to work with the flu and infect everyone. The flu goes through ur team room like a hot knife through butter.

This has been a known fact for decades. Yet it isn't Gov law. Maybe , now it will be

— stassinakis (@stass13) May 25, 2020

In a media briefing on Monday, the PM said sick leave is a key factor of employees being able to get back to work safely and being treated fairly on the job, and that "nobody should have to choose between taking a day off work due to illness or being able to pay their bills, just like nobody should have to choose between staying home with COVID-19 symptoms or being able to afford rent or groceries."

The statements come after NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh made the specific demand, among other things, just before a Parliamentary meeting this afternoon that will determine how future meetings will be held in a time of COVID-19.

Trudeau said he will be having further conversations on the topic with provinces "without delay," and will also be looking at "other mechanisms in the longer-term" to support working Canadians who fall ill and to help curb the severity of a second wave in the fall.

"When flu season starts up, we don't want people who develop a sniffle to suddenly worry that well, they really shouldn't go into work but they can't afford to not go into work," Trudeau said. "The risk for contributing to a second wave significantly could be a real problem."

The sad part is that Jagmeet Singh & the NDP have been pushing the Liberals to commit to Paid Sick Leave since at least March 11th...over 2 months ago. How many workplace outbreaks could have been avoided if the Liberals had just listened & done the right thing way back then?

— Freya Keddie 🍊 (@keddieff) May 25, 2020

Though the health crisis has proven to be an absolutely unprecedented and tragic phenomenon, it has allowed societies to examine their pre-COVID-19 way of life and how well certain systems and norms were working for citizens.

Hopefully guaranteed paid sick leave is just one of the changes coming from our current situation that will lead to a better lifestyle for Canadians in the long run.