The provincial government is looking to amend the Employment Standards Act to give British Columbians job-protected medical leave.
The proposed changes would mean people could take up to 27 weeks of unpaid leave within a 12-month period to undergo medical treatment and recovery. The legislation was introduced on Monday (Oct. 20).
This would put B.C. in line with other jurisdictions in Canada, such as Ontario, Manitoba, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, which have similar leaves.
Premier David Eby announced the move by highlighting several worker-focused initiatives the B.C. government has introduced, such as minimum wage increases, mandatory paid sick days and the removal of sick note requirements. But he said there are still gaps.
“One of the areas where we know we have to do better is supporting people with long-term illnesses, chronic conditions, or conditions that don’t immediately resolve after a short period of time — illnesses like cancer or multiple sclerosis,” he said.
There are currently no provisions under the Employment Standards Act that provide long-term job-protected leave for employees who are unable to work due to their own serious illness or injury, according to the Labour Ministry.
Eby said the new rules will make sure people don’t have to choose between focusing on their health and their job.
“They’re able to just focus on getting better,” he said.
This also helps employers retain talent, he added.
Labour Minister Jennifer Whiteside said the bill was developed in coordination with advocacy groups that have pushed for this type of legislation for a long time. She highlighted the stories of several individuals who have gone through major health issues and were forced to leave their jobs.
“Nobody in B.C. deserves to lose their work and livelihoods because they’ve been diagnosed with a serious serious illness or because they’re recovering from a terrible injury or intimate partner violence,” Whiteside said.
Sue Whittaker, a volunteer for MS Canada, then shared her story about being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and having to give up her job as a kindergarten teacher.
“It had been a big part of my identity for 22 years,” she said. “It was a big change.”
Whittaker said the unpredictable and episodic nature of MS means more than 60 per cent of those living with the disease end up unemployed.
“Introducing 27 weeks of job-protected medical leave will offer protection for workers in our province, so they don’t have to make the tough choice like I did to leave a job they love,” she said.