Paid Vaccination Leave Proposed for British Columbia Employees

Paid Vaccination Leave Proposed for British Columbia Employees

In our article of April 6, 2021, we reported that a new job-protected leave was announced for British Columbia employees to get vaccinated. We also reported that the British Columbia government planned to consult industry stakeholders on the feasibility of making this job-protected leave paid.

We received confirmation today that the British Columbia government has proposed an amendment to the Employment Standards Act to permit employees to take paid leave for up to three hours for each COVID-19 vaccination. The proposed amendment also provides that an employer cannot require an employee to provide a medical note to support the request for paid leave.

The proposed amendment has received First Reading in the Legislative Assembly and we anticipate that it will be passed into law soon. We will continue to monitor further developments and will provide a further update once the proposed amendment comes into effect.

by Dianne Rideout and Michelle McKinnon

A Cautionary Note

The foregoing provides only an overview and does not constitute legal advice. Readers are cautioned against making any decisions based on this material alone. Rather, specific legal advice should be obtained.

© McMillan LLP 2021