Consultation on Changing the Employment Standards Act

The Employment Standards Act is legislation that sets minimum standards for workplaces in B.C. around topics such as pay, overtime, leaves, and hours of work.  The provincial government is currently undergoing a review of the Employment Standards Act and is receiving submissions on possible changes it looks to make as early as this Spring.

The Burnaby Board of Trade, through our Government Relations Committee, will engage directly on behalf of the business community on this issue, but we encourage individual members to participate either directly, or by sharing their thoughts with us.  For information on the consultation and how to send in your comments, click here.  If you would like to share your thoughts with the Burnaby Board of Trade, please email Cory Redekop at cory@bbot.ca

The possible changes to the Employment Standards Act may provide clarity to employers, but also may impose new restrictions and obligations on businesses.  Your input is important!

The provincial government is considering 6 areas for possible changes:

  • Increasing protection of child workers
    • Possible limits on what work children can do, even with a permit/parental permission.
  • Transforming the Employment Standards Branch
    • Changing how the Branch investigates complaints and enforces violations.
  • Supporting families through difficult times with job-protected leaves of absence
    • Expanding unpaid leaves and legislating sick time, and clarity on vacation pay
  • Strengthening workers’ ability to recover wages/monies
    • Ensuring workers receive gratuities and extending the period for which wages owed can be recovered.
  • Clarifying hours of work and overtime
    • Allowing workers to decline overtime and allowing more flexibility in work/shift patterns.
  • Improving fairness for terminated workers
    • Clarity on terminations and the required notice or pay in lieu of notice.