Victoria – Paid sick leave will be standard for workers in British Columbia beginning January 1, 2022, with a minimum of five paid sick days each year.
For more information about paid sick leave, visit: http://www.gov.bc.ca/PaidSickLeave
Employment Standards Branch: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/employment-standards-advice/employment-standards/time-off?keyword=paid&keyword=sick&keyword=leave
Paid sick leave engagement process: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/govtogetherbc/consultation/permanent-paid-sick-leave/
B.C. becomes the first province in Canada to legislate this level of paid time off for workers who fall ill. This new workplace protection applies to all workers covered by the Employment Standards Act, including part-time workers.
The Province consulted with workers and employers around B.C. to find out what currently exists in the way of paid sick leave and to gather feedback on three options – three, five or 10 days of paid sick leave – to come into effect in the new year. More than 60,000 people participated in the engagement.
Feedback from the workplaces that already provide paid sick leave found that most workers take between zero and five days of sick leave each year.
