On May 30, 2019, the Provincial Government passed changes to the
B.C. Employment Standards Act (the "ESA"). The ESA is the
law that sets minimum standards for workplaces in the province, and
has not been significantly updated for 15 years. The changes are
overwhelmingly employee-friendly.
Some provisions do not come into force until future regulations
are implemented, so it is important to seek legal advice if you are
concerned about a particular change.
The following is a summary of some of the most notable
changes:
Stronger child employment protections
- Children under the age of 14 may not
work at all without the Director of Employment Standards'
permission. Children who are 14 or 15 may only perform "light
work" with a parent or guardian's consent. "Light
work" will be defined in future regulations, but is work that
is unlikely to be harmful to the health of development of a
child.
