British Columbia continues to take steps toward relaxing
COVID-19 workplace safety requirements and returning employees to
the office, in keeping with recent trends among provincial
governments in Canada. On March 11, 2022, the B.C. Provincial
Health Officer lifted mandatory face-cover requirements in the
workplace. These changes followed the lifting of other COVID-19
workplace safety requirements on February 16, 2022, and anticipate
the further easing of protective measures on April 8, 2022.
This two-part series is intended to help employers navigate this
shifting legal landscape. In part one, we canvass the latest and
upcoming changes to COVID-19 workplace safety requirements in
British Columbia. In part two, we explain what those changes mean
– and don't mean – for employers going forward,
in light of other responsibilities pertaining to workplace safety
and employees with medical conditions, including responsibilities
under B.C.'s Workers' Compensation
Act, Human