a fair chance when applying at a
job. To ensure this, appropriate
and fair screening tests and
interviews must be conducted.
No questions regarding personal
life or religion can be asked.
The CHRA also protects every
employee in Canada against any
sort of sexual, physical, mental,
or emotional harassment at the
workplace.

The ESA establishes
minimum terms and standards
of employment such as
minimum wage, overtime, paid
leaves, and termination policies
at the provincial level. These
are also applicable to temporary
foreign workers such as
international students. Almost
all non-unionized workers in
BC are protected by ESA. While
we are aware of the minimum
wage rate in BC, most of us are
not familiar with the other rules
and regulations laid down by
the ESA. Minimum wage rate
is applicable regardless of how
the workers are paid—in other
words, whether they earn a
salary, hourly wage, or work on
commission. Workers must be
paid at least twice a month and
no pay period should be more
than 16 days. The employees
should be paid within eight days
after the end of the pay period.
The daily overtime pay is time-
and-a-half after an eight-hour
shift and double after a 12-hour
shift. These rules ensure timely

and fair pay to the workers in BC.

Meal breaks are also
discussed in the ESA. No worker
should work more than five
consecutive hours without
an unpaid 30-minute meal
break. If the worker needs to
be available to work during
their break, the break should

: be paid. If you work for at least

: three consecutive months

: with your employer, then you

: are entitled to a week’s pay if

: you are terminated without

: a justified written notice of

: termination. The responsibility

: of proving a just termination

: lies upon the employer. Further,
: the ESA also enlists the paid

: statutory holidays applicable

: in BC. All employees can take

: certain unpaid leaves for a

: specified period without being

: terminated. For example, a

: worker can take up to three days
: of unpaid leave in case of death

: of an immediate family member.

Young students often take

: summer jobs in companies

: that do not have fixed hours of

: operation such as plumbing,

: landscaping, painting, and

: fishing. If the work is completed
: early or can be done with fewer

: workers, they are often sent back
: from work. However, ESA clearly
: states that any employee who

: reports to work must be paid for
: at least two hours, even if they

: worked less than two hours, and
: an employee who was scheduled
: for an eight-hour shift should be
: paid a minimum of four hours.

: Any uniforms or special clothing
: that identify with the employer

: or the organization, such as

: a T-shirt with the company’s

: logo, must be paid for by the

: employer. Any employer not

: following the above mentioned

: rules and regulations can

: be challenged in court ora

: complaint can be registered with
: the Ministry of Labour in BC.

: More information can be found

: on their official website.

: The OHS Regulations aim to :
: ensure safe and healthy working
: conditions for the employees

  
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   

: in BC. The guidelines are
: mandatory to be followed by the
; employers and employees.

All the employers must

: educate their employees

: about every tool and piece of

: equipment at work. They must:
: be told how to safely use, dispose :
: of, and store the tools and other
: equipment required to perform
: the job. Records of training and
: any accidents at the workplace

: must be maintained. Employers
: must file reports to government
: about all the accidents or injuries :
: that take place at work. The

: reports include what happened
: and how, who was injured, what
: treatment was done, and other

: details about the accidents. This
: isa required procedure even if

: it is minor cut on the hand of

: achef ina restaurant kitchen.

: The employer should also

: ensure a clean and a hygienic

: workplace for their workers.

: Some industries also require the
: employers to get their workers
insured.

Further, it is the

: responsibility of an individual
: to ensure their own and

: their colleagues’ safety at the

: workplace. All workers must

: take necessary precautions to
: avoid any risk to health and well- :
: being.

One very crucial and

: important right of all the

: workers in BC is the right to

: refuse unsafe work without

: being terminated from your

: job. This can be done by Work

: Refusal Process. If your employer
: asks you to perform a task which
: you find endangers your or your

: colleagues’ safety, you can refuse

to do it. You must first inform

: your immediate supervisor or
: manager who has to investigate

: and look if the work is

: potentially endangering your

: safety. If the manager agrees

: to your complaint, they must

: make sure that proper safety

: measurements are taken. If the
: manager doesn’t agree or if you

: the safety measures taken, you

: can still refuse to do the work.

: Then the work must be assessed
: in the presence of another

: worker. Both the manager and

: the second worker must agree

: If not satisfied by the decision
: of both, you can further take

: the matter to the prevention

: manager of the nearest OHS

: center.

: visits the workplace and

: assesses with the help of all the

: necessary tools and knowledge

: of the experts if the work can

: cause harm. If yes, then you

: are not required to the job and

: the employer needs to make

: adjustments for it. If not, you can
: take the matter to court as well.

: not only help to ensure a fair,

: safe, and harmonious work

: environment but also ensure

: the well-being of individuals by

: more productive.

still don’t feel doubtful even after

if the task is dangerous or not.

The prevention manager

All these laws and acts

giving them opportunities to be