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The Alberta government is about to update the province’s labour laws so that workers cannot be fired for taking a sick day off work.

Or fired for taking time off to look after a sick relative.

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Or fired for taking time off as a victim of domestic violence.

The government will include the updates in new legislation to be introduced Wednesday afternoon.

Considering that Alberta’s quasi-Dickensian labour laws haven’t seen a significant update in 30 years, it’s about time they were.

And considering Alberta is the only province in Canada where you can be fired for taking a sick day, it’s high time the laws were modernized.

We’re not talking, by the way, about workers getting paid sick days, but merely unpaid, job-protected sick days.

The update should come as no surprise to anyone who knows anything about the New Democratic Party or Premier Rachel Notley’s previous life as a labour lawyer or recent comments from Labour Minister Christina Gray.