Do you have drug coverage? I believe most of student have it. But can you imagine your life if you do not have drug coverage and may not able to afford your own drug?
In fact, there are big differences in pays and benefits. There’s a report shows that 1.5 million workers in Ontario do not have drug coverage. Comparing to white counterparts, young people, and recent immigrants in part-time employment are much more likely to be excluded.
Part time workers are much less to have the coverage than full time workers. And there’s even a gap among part time worker group. For example, immigrant part time workers are much more likely to be lacked with drug coverage than non-immigrant part time workers.
There is no obvious gap between male and female workers but much more females are working part time. So, more women do not have drug coverage.
The problem is the gap among works. Employers are not providing enough benefit and either the government. Due to the less pays and benefits, part-time jobs are devalued, leading to a negative effect on women, young generation and seniors. Part time workers are usually get paid less, no benefits.
In my opinion, these people group should be protected by law and also supported by government. For example, it would be helpful if government can establish any employment law. Ontario’s previous Liberal government passed legislation mandating that part-time, temporary, and casual employees could not be paid less for doing the same work as full-time employees. The Ford government eliminated the measure last year. The employers need to provide equal pay for equal work, equal benefits for equal work to reduce the differences.
Also, the drug coverage is important that not everyone can afford the prescription especially for the part time workers group since they are already got paid less. Now it would be much better if government can provide some support to these group.
Yiyao Jiang 