Workers can take up to three hours to get COVID-19 jab
Following in the footsteps of Alberta and Saskatchewan, British Columbia has now made it official that full- and part-time employees in the province can take up to three hours of paid leave to get the COVID-19 vaccination.
Introduced earlier this month, the new law ensures that no employee will lose pay if they need time away from work to get vaccinated. It takes effect retroactive to April 19.
“Guaranteeing paid leave for workers to get vaccinated is an important way to keep workers safe, while reducing risks to businesses. Our government believes it’s in everyone’s interest to remove all barriers to a worker getting vaccinated when they are eligible to do so,” says Harry Bains, minister of labour.
“Supporting workers to get their COVID-19 vaccine when it’s their turn will greatly benefit everyone. Workers will be able to protect themselves and their families from this terrible virus, businesses can protect staff and customers from getting sick, and communities will benefit from reducing the chance of an outbreak.”
B.C.’s new legislation improves on the regulatory change made April 1 that provided unpaid job-protected leave for workers to take the time they need to receive the vaccine.
The unpaid leave remains in place to supplement the new paid time off; for example, to accompany dependent family members to get vaccinated or if a worker needs more than three hours of paid leave to travel to their vaccine appointment.
Performance apparel manufacturer Canada Goose also said it would give all its employees up to four hours’ paid leave to receive COVID-19 vaccinations.
