Employers in British Columbia may schedule work hours as they see fit. They may draft schedules weeks in advance or on a daily basis. However, employment law prescribes the number of hours workers may work, the number of free hours they should have, and how they will be compensated for extra work hours.

The next statutory holiday in BC is tomorrow, Good Friday, on April 10. This is the first statutory holiday to occur during the peak of the COVID-19 crisis and many may have lost sight of it given current world events, particularly if your business is in a partial state of shut-down.

Prime Minister Justice Trudeau announced another anticipated update to the CEWS yesterday. The requirement of a 30 percent drop in revenue as a result of COVID-19 should be relaxed for the first month, such that an employer can qualify for the CEWS if they have incurred a drop of at least 15 percent of their revenue in March 2020, as compared to March 2019.

We have previously written about a number of significant amendments to the British Columbia Employment Standards Act which have come into effect this year. Many of these amendments will affect low-wage earners in BC.

It is almost one year since it became legal to use cannabis in Canada. In April 2019, a director of WorkSafeBC, Tom Brocklehurst, answered some of the questions that both employers and employees have about legal cannabis use in the workplace.

The #MeToo movement brought workplace harassment and bullying to the attention of many. Safety professionals across Canada, including British Columbia, have revealed that bullying and harassment remain some of the most significant workplace hazards.

Employers in British Columbia are legally obligated to comply with employment standards and provide safe work environments. They must always honour workers' rights and protections.

Employers in British Columbia can land in hot water if they publish discriminating advertisements for job vacancies. Under employment law, the human rights of applicants may not be violated by placing ads that restrict some people from applying.

Many British Columbia business owners choose to use the services of independent contractors instead of employees. There are benefits for both parties with such a work relationship, but there can also be severe consequences if the independent contractor arrangement is improperly executed.

Employers' legal obligations to their employees are not limited to meeting workplace standards under the applicable labour or employment legislation. Legal proceedings on the basis of human rights violations in the workplace have grown to comprise a significant part of employment law today.

In the age of easily accessed and readily shared information, it should come as no surprise that things that were once considered acceptable have started raising eyebrows. Before employees could access salary information on company review sites or co-workers could communicate via instant messaging service, salary information was far more discrete.

Employers in British Columbia face many challenges when it comes to the human rights of their employees. Under employment law, unanticipated claims may arise, and because they were not evident at first, employers can find themselves in a tight spot.

The safety of employees of British Columbia businesses is not only a concern for the workers, it should be the primary concern of employers as well. The fact that employment law requires employers to provide safe workplaces should not put a burden on employers while it benefits employees.

In British Columbia, employers must comply with workplace equity laws. Under the employment law of Canada, job descriptions and the wages offered for each position must not be based on the person but rather the job. The remuneration for men and women must be equal for equally valued jobs, and not necessarily for the same job.

Workplace harassment has been a topic that was the subject of discussion in many British Columbia industries in recent months. Under employment law, employees have the right to safe workplace environments, but employers have the right to protection against groundless accusations of harassment.

Following a claim of workplace discrimination in British Columbia, the Supreme Court of Canada ultimately ruled that such discrimination is possible even if the accused and the claimant are employees of different entities. According to employment law and human rights legislation, all individuals are protected against discrimination and insults.

Canada is a country that promotes tolerance and respect in all aspects of life, including work. Certainly, no person deserves to be subjected to discrimination in the workplace for any reason. The definition of "workplace" is at the heart…

Each province in Canada sets its own minimum hourly wage for workers in that province. However, there are exceptions to this labour law in several provinces, including British Columbia. A local hockey league…

Social media is a constant presence in the 21st century, both in the lives of private citizens and public corporations. People use it to connect with one another, and businesses use it to connect with consumers.

Employees who have spent decades on the job often become known and loved by many co-workers and customers. They may also be the ones younger, less experienced workers turn to for help and advice.