Workers in British Columbia can now avail of up to three days of paid sick leave for reasons related to COVID-19.
On May 20, 2021, British Columbia passed Bill 13, Employment Standards Amendment Act (No.2), 2021. This Act temporarily amends the Employment Standards Act (ESA) to provide BC employees with three days of paid sick leave for COVID-19 related reasons.
Who can take the paid sick leave?
This leave is available to workers covered under the ESA who don't already have a paid sick leave plan in place. Both full-time and part-time employees are eligible for the COVID-19 paid sick leave.
Employees can take the leave for COVID-19 related reasons, such as:
- The employee has COVID-19 or is waiting for COVID-19 test results.
- The employee is in quarantine as required by law.
- The employee has been told to stay home by their employer due to risk of COVID-19 exposure.
There are no service requirements for starting this leave. This means both new employees and long-tenured employees are eligible.
Who pays for the sick leave?
While the employer has to pay staff their full day's pay while they are on leave, the employer can apply to be reimbursed through WorkSafeBC.
WorkSafeBC will reimburse employers up to $200 per day per sick employee. But if employees earn more than $200 per day, the employer will have to pay the difference.
Though WorkSafeBC is providing the reimbursement for this program on behalf of the BC government, the program is separate from the workers’ compensation system.
The program will not impact WorkSafeBC’s employer premiums or its accident fund. More details on how employers can register for reimbursements will become available in June 2021.
How long are the temporary changes in effect?
The amendments to the ESA will be in effect from May 20, 2021, until December 31, 2021.
How will employers be affected?
Provincially regulated employers in BC who don't already have a paid sick leave program in place will be affected by this new amendment.
These employers will need to provide payment for this leave to their eligible employees up-front.
It is important that these employers stay up to date with the developments on this subject. They should ensure they apply for reimbursement when the registration details are released in June 2021.
Do you need more information on the new COVID-19 paid sick leave?
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