Bill 13 : BC Paid Sick Leave
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.
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 and long-tenured employees are eligible.
HR business advice
Employers are responsible for ensuring you policies and documentation reflect the ESA changes. If you are unsure what this means for your business or have any other HR questions, speak to our HR experts today : 1-833-200-5103.