Resources: Health + Safety

Bill 11, Employment Standards Amendment Act: BC Government to Restrict Employer’s Ability to Request Health Practitioner Notes for Employee Health, Illness, or Injury Related Leave

In April 2025, the BC Legislature introduced Bill 11, Employment Standards Amendment Act. Bill 11 passed third reading on May 12, 2025. Bill 11 will amend the Employment Standards Act (the “ESA”) to prohibit employers from requiring employees to provide a note or other documentation from a health practitioner in relation to a health, illness, or injury related leave.

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Employee Discharged for Lying to His Doctor and Employer

In Brewers Distributors Ltd v. Brewery, Winery and Distillery Workers, Service Employees International Union, Local 2, Branch Local 300 (Banwait Grievance), [2024] B.C.C.A.A.A. No. 115 (Sullivan), Arbitrator Christopher Sullivan agreed that the employer had just and reasonable cause to discharge the grievor from employment after he was untruthful about his medical restrictions.

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Workplace Psychological Claims – BC Supreme Court Narrows the “Labour Relations Exclusion”

On March 6, 2025, the BC Supreme Court released an important and lengthy decision regarding workplace psychological claims. This trial decision addresses the second part of James Pickering’s action for benefits under the Workers Compensation Act, R.S.B.C. 2019, c. 1 [WCA].  The first part of this proceeding, indexed as Pickering v. School District No. 38 (Richmond), 2021 BCSC 1497, was a judicial review of a decision of the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Tribunal (“WCAT”).

At trial, Mr. Pickering argued that two provisions of the WCA infringe his rights under s. 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Part I of the Constitution Act, 1982, being Schedule B to the Canada Act 1982 (U.K.), 1982, c. 11 [Charter]. He said that those provisions, in combination, led to the denial of his mental disorder claim for workers’ compensation. In short, he argued that his claim was denied for reasons that are discriminatory.

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Health Spending Accounts Not Sufficient to Meet ESA Sick Leave Requirements

A British Columbia arbitral decision is the most recent in a developing line of authority cautioning BC employers that sick days conferred under the Employment Standards Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 113 (the “ESA”) may be qualitatively different than sick leave benefits under a collective agreement.

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Arbitrator Allows Religious-Based Exemption From Covid-19 Mandatory Vaccination Policy

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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Employer Must Take Meaningful Steps to Confirm Voluntary Resignation or Risk Paying Damages for Wrongful Dismissal

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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‘Tis the Season to Avoid Folly: Treats and Tidbits for a Successful Christmas or Holiday Party

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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Arbitrator Confirms Precautionary Approach Appropriate in Times of Scientific Uncertainty

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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BC Supreme Court Weighs in on Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policies

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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Refusal of Unsafe Work

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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