WORKING IN BC:

YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

6th Edition
https://www.surreyschools.ca/schools/tweeds/Departments/Planning/Documents/W
oring-in-BC-3-2012.pdf
or google working in bc your legal rights
Name:

Praise Osifo
Block:

1. Glossary: (Pages 2 & 21)

a. Averaging Agreement: A person legally appointed or empowered to
act on behalf of another
b. Collective Agreement: An agreement between employers and
employees which regulates the terms and conditions of employees in
their workplace
c. Gross Pay: Your pay before deductions
d. Double time: Twice the amount of your regular wage
e. Net Pay: Your take home pay after deductions
f. Time and a half: One and a half times your regular wage
g. Under the Table: Employment not reported to the state
h. Variance: When employers, with the agreement of their employees,
ask the Branch to vary or charge how parts of the Act apply to them
2. What is the Employment Standards Act?
A law in BC; it outlines the rights of employees and responsibilities of
employers. It sets the minimum standards for working conditions. /1
3. What is the role of the Employment Standards Branch?
Its the government office that enforces the law. /1
4. What is the phone number and website of the ESB?
1-800-663-3316. Website is www.labour.gov.bc.ca/esb /1
5. List the people who are NOT covered by the ESB.

The people not covered include babysitters, secondary school students

working at their schools or enrolled in work experience or occupational
study, newspaper carriers who attend school and work 15 hours a week or
less, and people receiving financial assistance from the government and who
participate in certain government sponsored employment programs. /1
6. Who are covered by Collective Agreements?
People belonging to unions. /1
7. What Government issued document must you have in order to be hired in
BC?
A resume/1
8. How old must you be to work in BC?
If under twelve, employers must get a written permission from the
employment standards branch, your parents or legal guardian also has to
agree, but they have to work restricted hours. At fifteen years there are no
restricted hours and they dont require a parent or guardian consent. /2
9. Define minimum wage.
The lowest amount of money employers can pay you to work./1
10.What is minimum wage in BC?
At the time of the booklet it was $10.25 but it has been raised to $10.45. /1
11.Define Minimum Daily pay.
If you go to work as requested by your employer you have to be paid for at
least two hours even if there is no work to do. If you are scheduled for over
eight hours you have to be paid at least four hours. /2
12.Besides shifts worked, what duties must an employer pay you for?
Work might be stopped for a reason your employer cant control, like
weather, Your employer still has to pay you for at least two hours or for the
actual hours you work. /1
13.What should be included on your pay cheque?
The agreed wage rate, commission, flat or piece rate; the total hours worked
in the pay period, overtime, deductions, gross pay, net pay, hours banked,
and employers name and address. /1
14.What can an employer deduct from your wages?
Canada pension plan, employment insurance plan, income tax, and court
ordered garnishees. /1
15.Define Special Clothing (p.21). Who pays for the upkeep of this?

Clothing that is identified with a company logo or unique company colours,

and the employer. /2
16.Define Dress Code. Who pays for the upkeep of this?
A set of rules specifying the type of clothing to be worn by a group or by
people under specific circumstances. The employer pays for it. /2
17.Describe what work breaks are you entitled to.
Every five hours, your employer has to allow you at least a thirty minute rest
period. /1
18.What is a split shift?
When you work some hours, then have an unpaid break, then go back to
work that same day. /1
When must you be paid overtime?
After working eight hours of work within a day.
19.When must you be paid double time?
An employer must pay their employee for their work done every hour after
twelve hours/1
20.How is weekly overtime calculated?
When an employee works for more than forty hours a week, they must be
paid overtime. /1
21.Do employers have to pay you if you are sick and cannot work?
Its not required by law, but some employers do provide sick pay. /1
22.What vacation time are you entitled to?
After working a year, an employee gets at least two weeks off. After working
for five years in a row the employee gets at least three weeks off. /2
23.What is vacation pay?
The percentage of the total wages a worker receives in a year. You must get
at least 4% of your gross earnings. After you work five years in a row you
must get at least 6% of your gross earnings. /2
24.How many statutory holidays are there in BC
there are ten statutory holidays. /1
25.How can you be eligible for stat holiday pay?
The worker must be employed for at least thirty calendar days before the stat
holiday, worked or earned wages for fifteen of those thirty days, and worked
under an averaging agreement any time in the thirty days beforehand. /3
26.How does the ESA protect you if you take an unpaid leave?

An employer is not allowed to terminate an employees job. /1

27.Name 6 unpaid leaves which are covered by the ESA?
Pregnancy leave, parental leave, family responsibility leave, bereavement
leave, compassionate care leave, jury duty. /1
28.What should you do if you feel your working conditions are unsafe?
First identify the unsafe condition and report it immediately to your
supervisor or employer. You can contact WorkSafeBC to find out what your
employer can do to keep you safe. They can also tell you how to make a
complaint. /1
29.What does the Human Rights Code state about discrimination in the
workplace? What are the protected grounds?
An employer is not permitted to discriminate against an employee during the
hiring process or in the workplace. The protected grounds are race, skin
colour, ancestry, place of origin, political beliefs, religion, marital status,
family status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, age, or
being convicted a criminal or summary conviction offence that is unrelated
to the employment or intended employment. /2
30.What is a layoff and when does it become a termination?
A layoff is when an employer tells their employees that they must take an
unpaid leave. It becomes a termination when you are laid off for thirteen of
twenty weeks or if the recall period by a collective agreement is exceeded. /2
31.Does an employer need to provide a reason to fire you?
They do not need to provide a reason. /1

32.What are you entitled to if you are terminated without notice?

One weeks pay after you have been employed three months in a row, two
weeks payed if you have been employed for one year, and three weeks pay
after three years of work, plus one weeks pay for every additional year of
employment to a maximum of eight years. /3
33.What is a T4?
Its form to do income taxes. /1
34.What are the disadvantages of working under the table?
Disadvantages include being ineligible for employment insurance benefits,
or the possibility of not being covered by the Workers Compensation Act. /1
35.What steps should you take if you have a problem at work?

If you have a problem at work, you should report any loss or injuries of
yourself, a client or customer, or another employee . They should record the
incident by writing a date, time, any witnesses, and a description of where and how
the incident occurred. They should talk to someone they trust. Also, they should try
to talk to their employer. If the employer isnt listening or might have broken the
law, you should contact the Employment Standards Branch. /2
36.What is the purpose of the Employment Standards Self-help Kit?
The purpose of the Employment Standards Self-help kit is to assist
employees and employers in resolving problems among themselves. /1