Resources: Health + Safety
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COVID-19 Update – March 26, 2020 – B.C. Bulletin
March 2020
On the morning of March 26, 2020, Premier John Horgan and Mike Farnworth, the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, announced the provincial government would use extraordinary powers available pursuant to the Emergency Program Act to ensure a coordinated response to COVID-19 across all levels of government. This memorandum addresses this major development in the COVID-19 crisis which will be of significance to employers operating in B.C.
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COVID-19 Update – March 26, 2020 – B.C. Bulletin -
COVID-19 Update – March 18, 2020
March 2020
British Columbians, as with people the world over, are in uncharted territory. This crisis is unprecedented. Schools, business and government buildings throughout the country are closed down, multiple provinces have declared states of emergency, and our leaders are holding press conferences to update us on the situation as it develops, seemingly by the hour.
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COVID-19 Update – March 18, 2020 -
Arbitrator Allows Religious-Based Exemption From Covid-19 Mandatory Vaccination Policy
April 11, 2023
In the recent case of B.C. Rapid Transit Co. v. Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 7000 (Morzhakov Grievance), [2022] B.C.C.A.A.A. No. 114 (Noonan), Arbitrator Randall Noonan held that an employer violated an employee’s rights under the B.C. Human Rights Code when it refused to grant a religious accommodation in relation to its COVID-19 mandatory vaccination policy.
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Arbitrator Allows Religious-Based Exemption From Covid-19 Mandatory Vaccination Policy -
Employer Must Take Meaningful Steps to Confirm Voluntary Resignation or Risk Paying Damages for Wrongful Dismissal
January 25, 2023
In the recent decision of Burd v. Tahtsa Timber Ltd., 2022 BCSC 1372, the BC Supreme Court confirmed that an employer cannot simply assume that an employee has voluntarily resigned from his or her employment. Rather, the employer must take meaningful steps to confirm that the employee has in fact resigned.
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Employer Must Take Meaningful Steps to Confirm Voluntary Resignation or Risk Paying Damages for Wrongful Dismissal -
‘Tis the Season to Avoid Folly: Treats and Tidbits for a Successful Christmas or Holiday Party
November 28, 2022
Employers that organize and host Christmas or holiday parties and similar work-related social events have a number of legal responsibilities. They can be held liable for not taking adequate precautions to protect their employees from foreseeable and preventable harm.
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‘Tis the Season to Avoid Folly: Treats and Tidbits for a Successful Christmas or Holiday Party -
Arbitrator Confirms Precautionary Approach Appropriate in Times of Scientific Uncertainty
October 26, 2022
On July 11, 2022, Arbitrator Randy Noonan released his decision in Coca Cola Canada Bottling Inc. -and- Teamsters Local 213, B.C.C.A.A.A. No. 69 (Noonan). It concerned the reasonableness of Coca Cola’s mandatory vaccination policy (the “Vaccination Policy”). Although the policy is a national one, the dispute before the arbitrator related to the unionized hourly employees working out of four sites in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.
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Arbitrator Confirms Precautionary Approach Appropriate in Times of Scientific Uncertainty -
BC Supreme Court Weighs in on Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policies
September 29, 2022
On September 27, 2022, the BC Supreme Court released its decision in Parmar v. Tribe Management Inc., 2022 BCSC 1675 (“Parmar”). This is the first time the BC Supreme Court has directly weighed in on the validity of mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies in non-unionized workplaces and was a much-awaited decision for many employers and employees in British Columbia who are involved in similar litigation.
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BC Supreme Court Weighs in on Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policies -
Refusal of Unsafe Work
September 27, 2022
The right to refuse unsafe work is one of the core protections extended to workers in BC by Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (“OHS Regulation”) pursuant to the Workers’ Compensation Act (the “WCA”). Effective August 22, 2022 amendments to Part 3 of the OHS Regulation introduced new employer responsibilities relating to the reassignment of work following a refusal of unsafe work.
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Refusal of Unsafe Work -
Lessons from Selling Sunset, Part One: Work Parties
August 29, 2022
Before we launch into our three-part series on employment law lessons learned from watching Netflix’s Selling Sunset, we note that there are spoilers ahead, so proceed accordingly.
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Lessons from Selling Sunset, Part One: Work Parties -
There’s an App for That!
April 5, 2022
Many of us use applications (apps) in our daily lives – but what happens when an employer uses an app to manage its workforce?
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There’s an App for That!