May 2020

Returning to a New Normal

May 29, 2020
Susan Kootnekoff
Photo: "6 feet" by artnoose is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Amid fears over corona virus and declarations of emergency, many employers moved away from physical workplaces, toward either requiring employees to work remotely from home, or allowing employees to take leaves of absence. British Columbia’s state of emergency has now been...

Legal Framework Amid Covid-19 Fears, Part 2

May 26, 2020
Susan Kootnekoff

As we enter phase 2 of the British Columbia government’s announced “restart plan,” to gradually re-open businesses and ease restrictions, it is interesting to think about what legal authority is being used to make temporary emergency based legal changes amid...

Legal Framework Amid Covid-19 Fears

May 17, 2020
Susan Kootnekoff

What legal framework governs B.C.’s response to covid-19? The Emergency Program Act (EPA), passed in 1993, is the principal legislation for responding to disasters and emergencies in British Columbia. If the Minster of Public Safety, or the entire cabinet, is satisfied...

Changes to BC Employment Standards & Federal Emergency Wage Subsidy

May 7, 2020
Susan Kootnekoff
Photo: "Canadian Bills/Coins" by anitakhart is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

We previously wrote about temporary changes to BC’s Employment Standards Act (ESA) which allow employees to take temporary leaves of absence due to covid-19. A leave of absence is different from a layoff. Effective May 4, 2020, amendments to BC’s Employment...