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: Chasen
Block: 2

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 change how parts of the Act apply to them.
2. What is the Employment Standards Act?
Its all of the guide lines that employers must follow/1
3. What is the role of the Employment Standards Branch?
The Employment Standards Branch is the government office that enforces
the law. /1
4. What is the phone number and website of the ESB?
1-800-663-3316 and www.labour.gov.bc.ca/esb./1
5. List the people who are NOT covered by the ESB.

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 /1
6. Who are covered by Collective Agreements?
People who belong to unions /1
7. What Government issued document must you have in order to be hired in
BC?
Social Insurance Number (SIN)/1
8. How old must you be to work in BC?
If you are under 12 years old, employers must first get written permission
from the Employment Standards Branch. Your parents or legal guardian
must also agree. Once youre 15 you dont have to have permission /2
9. Define minimum wage.
The lowest amount of money employers can pay. /1
10.What is minimum wage in BC?
$10.25/1
11.Define Minimum Daily pay.
If you go to work as requested by your employer, you must be paid for at
least two hours even if there is no work for you to do. If you were scheduled
for more than eight hours work, you must be paid at least four hours wages.
/2
12.Besides shifts worked, what duties must an employer pay you for?
Training/1
13.What should be included on your pay cheque?
Agreed upon wage rate, commission, flat or piece rate; Total hours worked
in the pay period; Overtime; Deductions; Gross pay; Net pay; /1
14.What can an employer deduct from your wages?
Canada Pension Plan; Employment Insurance Plan; Income tax (in most
cases); and Court-ordered garnishees, for example: family maintenance
orders /1
15.Define Special Clothing (p.21). Who pays for the upkeep of this?
Clothing that is easily identified with a company logo or unique company
colors. The employer /2
16.Define Dress Code. Who pays for the upkeep of this?
The employees expense /2

17.Describe what work breaks are you entitled to.

Every five hours, your employer must allow you at least a 30-minute rest
period. /1
18.What is a split shift?
A working shift comprising two or more separate periods of duty in a day.
/1
19.When must you be paid double time?
Two times your regular wage for each hour worked after 12 hours. /1
20.How is weekly overtime calculated?
Counted by adding up the regular hours, i.e. eight or less in a day. When it
adds up to more than 40 hours in one week, you must be paid weekly
overtime. /1
21.Do employers have to pay you if you are sick and cannot work?
No /1
22.What vacation time are you entitled to?
After you have worked at your job for one year, you must get at least two
weeks off for vacation annually /2
23.What is vacation pay?
You must get at least 4% of your gross earnings. /2
24.How many statutory holidays are there in BC
10 /1
25.How can you be eligible for stat holiday pay?
Been employed for at least 30 calendar days before the stat holiday. Worked
or earned wages for 15 of 30 days before the stat holiday, Worked under an
averaging agreement any time in the 30 days before the stat holiday. /3
26.How does the ESA protect you if you take an unpaid leave?
Your employer is not allowed to terminate you for taking an unpaid leave
that is covered by the Employment Standards Act. /1
27.Name 6 unpaid leaves which are covered by the ESA?
Pregnancy Leave, parental leave, Family Responsibility Leave, Bereavement
Leave. /1
28.What should you do if you feel your working conditions are unsafe?
Report it to work safe BC /1
29.What does the Human Rights Code state about discrimination in the
workplace? What are the protected grounds?

The protected grounds are: race, color, ancestry, place of origin, political
beliefs, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability,
sex, sexual orientation, age /2
30.What is a layoff and when does it become a termination?
A layoff is temporary and the employer does not have to pay you
compensation. They do, however, have to call you back to work once the
layoff is over /2
31.Does an employer need to provide a reason to fire you?
No /1
32.What are you entitled to if you are terminated without notice?
In most cases, your employer must give you either Notice of 16 17
Termination or payment instead of notice. This payment is sometimes called
compensation or severance pay/3
33.What is a T4?
You need a T4 form to do your income tax. /1
34.What are the disadvantages of working under the table?
Being ineligible for employment insurance benefits, and the possibility of
not being covered by the Workers Compensation Act. If you have an
accident at the job site, you may not have any legal recourse, even if you
were working in unsafe conditions. /1
35.What steps should you take if you have a problem at work?
Report any incidents of loss or injury to yourself, your clients/customers, or
your organization. Make and keep your own record of the incident. Mark
down the date and time, who was present, and a description of where and
how the incident took place. /2
36. What is the purpose of the Employment Standards Self-help Kit?
Self-help Kit to assist employees and employers to resolve problems
among themselves; some exceptions apply. The kit must be filled out
before a complaint will be processed by the Branch. /1