As of January 1, 2022, all employers in BC will be required to provide a minimum of five days of paid sick leave for employees.
This announcement follows the completion of a public consultation process implemented in two phases between August and October:
- Employers and employees across BC were invited to participate in surveys which sought to gather information on existing paid sick leave programs offered by workplaces and get their input on how the upcoming provincial model should be structured.
- Survey results helped inform the Options Paper released on September 22, 2021, which outlined three proposed models for paid sick leave (three, five and ten days per year). The public was invited to provide their feedback on the options.
Over 60,000 responses were received during this process which led to the BC government’s final decision of five days. All workers covered by the Employment Standards Act (ESA), including part-time employees, will qualify as along as they have been employed for at least 90 days. This new policy will replace the temporary program introduced by the BC government in May 2021, offering up to three days of paid sick leave to workers for absences related to COVID-19, ending on December 31, 2021.
BC now provides the highest numbers of paid sick days of any provincial government.
Your Acera Benefits team is here to help with short and long-term strategies around the structure of your employee benefits and retirement programs.