Designed to give human resources practitioners and their advisors a concise summary of employers’ obligations under the law, this Quick Reference sets out the rights and responsibilities of employees and employers in British Columbia workplaces. It covers issues such as minimum wage, overtime, hours of work, vacations, statutory holidays, various leaves of absence, payroll records, temporary layoffs, and termination of employment. The guide also includes a discussion of the definition of an employee (and the differences between employees and independent contractors), the relationship between the common law and the ESA, the applicability of the ESA to unionized employees, various classes of individuals exempted from certain parts of the legislation, and complaint, investigation, enforcement, and determination procedures.

The book details recent changes to the Employment Standards of BC Act by topical heading and explains the new and revised compliance requirements. It gives you quick access to all the standards and provisions you need to know. In addition to an overview of the B.C. Employment Standards Act and a discussion of the historical background of the legislation, this guide also includes the full text of the Act and its regulations.

New in the 2022 Edition:

• COVID-19 amendments creating a special paid COVID-19 related leave and paid vaccination leave, as well as permanent paid sick leave.
• Changes relating to the types of work that can be performed by young workers including restrictions on “hazardous work.”
• Measures to protect foreign workers, along with fines and penalties for failure to comply.
• Increases to the standard minimum wage for employees in British Columbia, including changes with regard to how liquor servers are paid.
• Updates to the types of employees excluded from certain provisions under the BC Employment Act.
• Further clarifications on legislated temporary layoff provisions and constructive dismissal.