Articles and resources concerning BC’s Employment Standards Act (ESA) as it pertains to those seeking employment law advice. The content of these articles, and this website generally, is not intended as legal advice and cannot be relied upon as legal advice.
The law in B.C. sets standards for payment, compensation and working conditions in most workplaces. The standards promote open communication, fair treatment and work-life balance for employees.
Rising interest rates, inflation, and media buzz about an impending recession causes anxiety for a lot of employees – and not just those who have been let go. We wrote a piece recently about employers “quiet firing” employees. This is where employers start treating an employee badly with the hope that the employee will walk away from [...]
Top five myths about employment law At Labour Rights Law, all we do is employment, labour, and human rights law. Since we opened our doors in 2013, we’ve helped hundreds of employees and small businesses negotiate tough workplace issues in Coquitlam and the Tri-Cities area, across BC, and the rest of Canada. Here are some [...]
Effective January 1, 2022, eligible BC employees who have worked for at least 90 days for their employer can take up to five paid days of paid leave for personal illness or injury. The five days do not have to be taken consecutively. Employers may make reasonable requests for “sufficient proof” of illness “as soon [...]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSkPuttEHyA Transcript: In October 2020, the “Right to Disconnect Advisory Committee” began meeting regularly. Its mission? To provide recommendations to Canada’s federal government on supporting their workers’ work-life balance and well-being. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Rebecca Jackson, a lawyer at Labour Rights Law Office. After the video, if you have [...]
“Right to Disconnect Advisory Committee” is the latest reminder of the employment issues that can arise when employees work from home In October 2020, the “Right to Disconnect Advisory Committee” began meeting regularly. Its mission? To provide recommendations to Canada’s federal government on supporting their workers’ work-life balance and well-being. A briefing note on [...]
You may recall that in March 2020, the BC Government amended the Employment Standards Act to allow employees to take job-protected COVID-19 related leave. Recently, the BC Government made another amendment to the Employment Standards Act, to allow employees to take up to three hours off work, with pay, to get the COVID-19 vaccine. This [...]
There’s more to leaving a job than saying “I quit” and packing your stuff into a cardboard box. Before resigning from your employment, you should consult a lawyer to determine what your legal rights and obligations are - and what rights or compensation you might be giving up by leaving. Do I have to [...]
What are the differences between being "recalled" and "rehired" when returning to work after Covid-19 layoffs? As government restrictions on workplaces are becoming more relaxed, businesses that have laid off their workers due to the pandemic can now begin rebuilding their teams. However, employees who are hired back should be aware of the legalities surrounding their [...]
Does the "frustration of contract" doctrine allow employers the right to end employment without giving notice or severance amid a global pandemic? As the pandemic continues to adversely affect business operations, there are several important considerations for both employees and employers, especially when the pandemic continues to threaten operations for the unforeseeable future. One of [...]
Have you been laid-off past the maximum temporary layoff period? Understand what options are available to you and how you and your employer can apply together for "variance" to extend temporary layoffs. On August 31st, the BC government published an update on its website stating that employers and employees are now able to apply to [...]
