British Columbia workers who suffered work-related injuries can typically return to their jobs after recovery. However, when a workplace accident causes traumatic brain injuries, returning to work may not be a given. Each TBI victim faces unique challenges to overcome, depending on the severity and location of the damage to the brain.

Workers should all have equal access to employment opportunities, and their human rights must be protected at all times. However, even when workplace equity exists, human rights problems may not be immediately evident. The British Columbia Human Rights Code is meant to protect employees from discrimination at work.

As of May 4, 2020, a significant amendment to the BC Employment Standards Regulation, BC Reg 365/95, was ordered by Order in Council that effectively extends the duration of COVID-19-related temporary layoffs under the BC Employment Standards Act.

In a competitive environment, employers must often battle to ensure they have access to the best prospective candidates for an open position. They will frequently explore various distribution methods to cast a wide net in search of quality applicants.

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.

Some workers in British Columbia may not realize that they have the right to refuse job tasks that would threaten their safety. Employers must provide safety training and personal protective gear to protect employees from conditions that could cause a workplace injury.

On April 16, 2020, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an expansion of the eligibility criteria for the Canada Emergency Business Account ("CEBA") as well as the introduction of a new program, the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance ("CECRA") program.

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.

Today, Monday April 6, 2020, a revised British Columbia Workers' Compensation Act, RSBC 2019, c. 1 came into force (the "Revised Act").The Revised Act is reorganized and intended to be easier to read.

Employees in British Columbia are protected from discriminatory treatment, victimization and bullying in the workplace. WorkSafeBC mandates that employers must ban bullying and harassment of workers by colleagues and supervisors. Bullying and harassment can take on many forms.

The Workers' Compensation Act of British Columbia mandates that employers are responsible for protecting the health and safety of employees. The well-being of workers can be adversely affected even if they witnessed a traumatic event but were not physically injured.

The director of a Canadian concussion centre recently said that, contrary to popular belief, teachers face significant risks of concussion. More and more teachers in British Columbia and across Canada report head trauma suffered in accidents in classrooms and during recess.

WorkSafeBC, through its Road Safety At Work initiative, is campaigning to reduce the number of lives lost in on-the-job vehicles accidents. The agency says workplace accident risks involving motor vehicles are significantly higher now than in 2014.

Following a work-related back injury, a 45-year-old husband and father of two in British Columbia is without work, and must support himself with a cane to walk. The former sheet metal worker recently decided to go public with his struggles and the alleged discriminatory behaviour of a WorkSafeBC staff member.

Workers in British Columbia have the right to safe work environments. Employment law in Canada describes the roles of business owners, along with their rights and responsibilities. The law also mandates the responsibilities of employers, supervisors, contractors and workers.

While it is true that employers in British Columbia are responsible for the health and safety of employees, workers also play a role in their own safety. Employment law mandates the rights and responsibilities of workers in all industries. Effective workplace safety requires all the involved parties to commit to their responsibilities.

Many workers' fear of losing their jobs may prevent them from filing human rights complaints at the BC Human Rights Tribunal against their employers when they encounter discrimination contrary to the protected grounds established under the BC Human Rights Code (the "Code").