P.E.I. health businesses weigh pros, cons of opening on Monday's holiday
CBC
Prince Edward Island businesses have had a tough decision to make this week after the provincial government made Monday a statutory holiday in honour of Queen Elizabeth's funeral — the only province in Canada to do so.
Other provinces have declared a holiday for government employees but have not made it mandatory for businesses to either close or pay their staff extra for working the stat.
For medical care providers who have patient appointments booked months in advance, the surprise holiday will be costly and has been difficult to manage.
"We're going to take it on the chin, like we have been for the last few years as small business owners, and essentially we'll either work for free or have to be out money at the end of the day," said Dr. Brad Campbell, a dentist and one of the owners of Riverview Dental in Charlottetown.
His office will be open Monday.
"We had to make that decision and that's what we chose to do. Whether that's taking the high road or taking the low road, I'm not sure," he said.
Monday's holiday means Prince Edward Island employers now have three statutory holidays to deal with this month; the other two being Labour Day on Sept. 5 and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30.
In the health-care field, after years of coping with COVID-19 restrictions and now ongoing staffing shortages, some patients have already been waiting months for appointments.
Campbell said he and his colleagues didn't have the heart to cancel Monday's appointments, given patients holding them couldn't be rebooked until the spring of 2023.
He said the clinic was concerned about its reputation and providing quality care.
"We're going to stay open for the sake of our patients."
Sports Centre Physiotherapy in Charlottetown, on the other hand, has decided to close Monday.
That has meant added work for staff this week, including rebooking appointments, and will mean extra-busy days next week to make up for the missed day.
"It was a bit of a logistical dilemma to get things rearranged [and] resorted," said centre owner and physiotherapist Colin Moore. "But certainly today, now that all those things are arranged, we're looking forward to a long weekend."
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