As of January 1, 2022, provincially-regulated employers in British Columbia will be required to provide five days of paid sick leave each year to all employees covered by the Employment Standards Act (the “Act”). This paid leave is in addition to the three days of unpaid sick leave currently required and is distinct from temporary paid COVID-19 leave. While BC is the third province in Canada to legislate paid sick days, its new sick leave program offers the most paid sick days in the country.
Background
In a previous posting, we reviewed Bill 13 – 2021: Employment Standards Amendment Act (No. 2), 2021 (“Bill 13”), which amended the Act to provide temporary COVID-19-related paid leave and permanent paid sick leave starting January 1, 2022. The COVID-19 related leave will only be in effect until December 31, 2021, after which the section will be repealed and replaced by permanent paid sick leave benefits on January 1, 2022. The number of permanent paid sick days was unspecified at the time Bill 13 was passed.
Applicability
On November 24, 2021, the BC Government announced that the Act will provide for five paid sick days annually.
Employees who have worked for their employer for at least 90 days will be eligible for up to five days of paid leave and three days of unpaid leave per year for any illness or personal injury. Neither paid nor unpaid leave carry over year-to-year if unused by the employee. The leaves apply all employees who are covered by the Act, including...
Jared Kushner’s attorney says his legal team has formally put Vanity Fair and its parent company, Condé Nast, on notice over allegations about President Donald Trump’s son-in-law that the lawyer ch...