BC Employees Receive 3 hours Paid Time for Vaccination
On April 28, the BC government announced that it was making it easier for individuals to get vaccinated by amending the Employment Standards Act. The Act now requires employers to provide up to 3 hours of paid time off for employees to get vaccinated. This change is retroactive to April 19, 2021.
Employers can ask for proof that an employee is entitled to take this leave – e.g. asking for confirmation of a vaccination appointment. However, employers cannot require a doctor’s note or proof that the employee was vaccinated to claim this paid leave.
Employers are required to provide this leave to employees regardless of how long they have been employed with the company.
If an employer terminated an employee after April 19th for taking this type of leave, they must offer to reinstate the employee. More details can be found on the BC government website here.