Government has established paid sick leave for B.C.’s workers, so employees are able to stay home when sick or injured, without losing wages, for a set number of days each year. Paid sick leave is an important way to reduce workplace transmission of illness, and it supports workers, employers and B.C.’s economic recovery. The new model comes into effect on January 1, 2022.

During this engagement we sought input from workers and employers on what paid sick leave programs are currently available in their workplaces, and what they would like to see as a province-wide minimum standard.

This was a two-phase consultation process, with the first phase consisting of surveys to gather information from employers and workers; and the second phase consisting of an opportunity to comment on the proposed models for providing sick leave in B.C.

Phase one: Two online surveys were available – one for employers and one for workers. All responses are being compiled and analyzed as a group.
The online surveys closed on September 14, 2021 at 4 pm (PDT).
Phase two: Informed by the results of the surveys, options were developed which presented possible models for the new paid sick leave entitlement of three, five or ten days.
The Options Paper was available for public comment from September 22 to October 25th , 2021.

A summary of the results from both phases of the consultation will be posted here soon.

Input from the surveys and options has been used to assist government in making a final decision on a made-in-BC permanent paid sick leave model. On November 24, 2021 government announced the province-wide minimum standard of five days of paid sick leave per year. As required by legislation, the new model comes into effect on January 1, 2022.