B.C. to extend unpaid leave for 'catastrophic' illness, injury: Eby

The British Columbia government is proposing changes to the province's Employment Standards Act to allow up to 27 weeks of unpaid leave each year for people facing what Premier David Eby described as "catastrophic" illness or injury.

Eby told a news conference in Victoria that the change would take effect this fall if the bill is passed by his New Democrat majority government.

He says the leave would ensure people undergoing treatment such as chemotherapy could take the time they need without worrying about job security.

Labour Minister Jennifer Whiteside joined Eby, saying workers deserve to return to their jobs once their health-care providers confirm they're ready.

Whiteside says B.C.'s Human Rights Code prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability, but the current employment standards law does not include provisions to protect the jobs of people unable to work due to a long-term illness or injury.

The minister says the proposed changes will ensure the protection in the Human Rights Code is "built in" to the legislation.

"For people facing a difficult diagnosis and maybe well a life-altering situation, whether it's short term or long term, the certainty of knowing that their job will be there for them provides relief," Whiteside told the news conference. 

"It alleviates an unnecessary burden on their journey to recovery," she said.

She says survivors of intimate partner violence, many of whom show signs and symptoms of traumatic brain injury, would also be covered by the law.

"We know that 90 per cent of intimate partner violence cases reported to police involve survivors ages 15 to 54 in their prime working years," she said.

"For them, the guarantee of job protection may help invite survivors to feel safe in seeking services for their recovery."

More than 31,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each year in B.C., Whiteside noted.

"It's vital that we provide this important assurance to workers and their families," Whiteside said of the proposed changes.

She said the changes would bring B.C.'s legislation in line with standards already in place in other Canadian jurisdictions, including Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, as well as federally regulated industries and workplaces.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns