COVID-19 Update – Extension of Temporary Layoff Period

The B.C. Provincial Government announced today that it has extended the maximum permissible temporary layoff under the Employment Standards Act to 16 weeks in any 20 week period (up from 13 weeks) so long as the layoff is at least partly due to COVID-19.  The Government stated in its press release that it chose 16 weeks because it aligns with the maximum period of eligibility for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).

Consistent with its previous interpretation of the Employment Standards Act, the government’s position is that the employee must agree to the layoff.

For more information on this announcement, please see the link below:

COVID-19 Update – May 4, 2020

For questions on any information contained in today’s bulletin, please feel free to reach out to a member of our firm.

All our previous COVID-19 information bulletins can be found on Roper Greyell’s COVID-19 resource page.