On April 1, 2021, the B.C. Government expanded the scope
of the current unpaid COVID-19 related leave by granting all
part-time and full-time workers with the ability to take unpaid
time away from work to receive the COVID-19 vaccine with assurance
that they won't lose their jobs.
The leave also permits workers unpaid time off work to take
dependents to receive the vaccine.
The province has made regulatory changes to
the Employment Standards Act (B.C.) to account
for this change, and is currently exploring options to provide
workers with paid leave while getting their vaccine, however this
is currently still in the consultation phase.
Additional changes to the Employment Standards
Act (B.C.) include expanding the provincial COVID-19
related leave to align with the federal Canada Recovery Sickness
Benefit (CRSB) and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB). A
worker can now take COVID-19 related leave if they need to care for
family members, not just