Government of Alberta implements mandatory masking and recommends employees ‎continue to work from home

September 13, 2021

On September 3, 2021, new restrictions were announced by the Alberta Government in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Effective September 4, the following restrictions came into force throughout Alberta: Masks are mandatory in all indoor public spaces and workplaces (except schools); Employees must mask in all indoor work settings, except while alone in work stations… Continue Reading…

Canada in Focus

BC’s Phase 3 Restart: Out with the old and in with the new?‎

By Dana F. Hooker & Parm Rai (Summer Student)

July 7, 2021

Phase 3 of BC’s COVID-19 Restart Plan began July 1, 2021. Businesses are now able to increase capacity for customers and workers in workplaces, provided that they maintain measures to keep the public and employees ‎safe. ‎To-date, such measures included mandatory COVID-19 Safety Plans. However, effective the start of Phase 3, all sectors will instead… Continue Reading…

Canada in Focus

British Columbia introduces paid sick-leave & increases minimum wage

By Dana F. Hooker & Kristina Draskovic (Articling Student)

June 1, 2021

Paid sick-leave On May 20, 2021 the Employment Standards Amendment Act received Royal Assent. The newly passed legislation immediately provides up to three paid days of COVID-19 related sick-leave to British Columbia employees, and commencing January 1, 2022, will provide for an as yet undetermined amount of paid illness and injury leave (in addition to… Continue Reading…

Canada in Focus

Getting back to normal: BC’s restart plan 2.0 and your workplace

By Duncan Burns-Shillington & Kristina Draskovic (Articling Student)

May 28, 2021

On May 25, 2021, BC’s COVID-19 “circuit breaker” measures officially expired as Premier John Horgan announced the government’s new four-step plan aimed toward returning to pre-pandemic life: “BC’s Restart”. Although tentative dates were set for each step of BC’s Restart, actually progressing to each next step is dependant on declining COVID-19 case counts and an… Continue Reading…

Canada in Focus

Doubling-down on workplace safety: BC’s Provincial Health Officer issues new requirements for ‎workplaces and post-secondary institutions‎

By Dana F. Hooker & Caroline Yao (Articling Student)

May 5, 2021

As the third wave of BC’s COVID-19 pandemic rages on, provincial authorities continue to grapple with how to curtail rising caseloads in the province. Although COVID-19 Safety Plans have been required for workplaces for the better part of a year, BC’s workplaces continue to be a source of transmission. In addition to recently increased powers… Continue Reading…

Canada in Focus

Government of British Columbia introduces paid leave for COVID-19 vaccine ‎appointments

By Duncan Burns-Shillington

April 29, 2021

As the “circuit breaker” measures and travel restrictions continue to apply across British Columbia to help combat the third wave of COVID-19, Bill 3: Employment Standards Amendment Act, 2021 (“Bill 3”) received Royal Assent on Tuesday, April 27, 2021. Bill 3 amends the British Columbia Employment Standards Act to provide all employees with up to… Continue Reading…

Canada in Focus

New travel restrictions in effect for British Columbia

By Struan Robertson & Kristina Draskovic (Articling Student)

April 28, 2021

The Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General detailed new travel restrictions for all persons located within British Columbia in effect from April 23, 2021 until at least May 25, 2021. The new restrictions come as a response to record-high hospitalizations in B.C. and the spread of COVID-19 variants. Ministerial Order 172/2021 is aimed at… Continue Reading…

Canada in Focus

Government of Alberta introduces paid leave for employees to receive COVID-19 vaccinations

By Michael Ford, Correna Jones, Jonathon Ward & Aaron Johnson (Articling Student)

April 23, 2021

On April 22, 2021, Bill 71: Employment Standards (COVID-19 Vaccination Leave) Amendment Act, 2021 (“Bill 71”) received royal assent to retroactively take effect starting April 21, 2021. Bill 71 amends the Alberta Employment Standards Code to provide 3 hours of paid leave for any full-time or part-time Alberta employee to receive a COVID-19 vaccination (“COVID-19… Continue Reading…

Canada in Focus

British Columbia expands power to close businesses in response to workplace COVID-19 ‎transmission

By Dana F. Hooker & Kristina Draskovic (Articling Student)

April 16, 2021

A new public health order has expanded the powers of British Columbia’s medical health officers in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. The Expedited Workplace Closure order, in effect since April 12, allows medical health officers to temporarily close workplaces where one or more persons has become infected with COVID-19 and it is necessary for… Continue Reading…

Canada in Focus

British Columbia government expands COVID-19 Leave entitlement under the ‎Employment Standards Act

By Evan Cribb (Articling Student) & Dana F. Hooker

April 7, 2021

As COVID-19 case numbers rise to unprecedented levels, the BC Government continues to implement new provisions in response to the ongoing pandemic. Early in the pandemic the BC government amended the Employment Standards Act to provide employees with unpaid “COVID-19 Leave” (see our discussion of those amendments here). Effective April 1, 2021, the Employment Standards… Continue Reading…