Today, BC announced it is extending the Employment Standards Act  temporary layoff period to a maximum of 16 weeks in any period of 20 consecutive weeks for layoffs connected to the COVID-19 emergency.

The increased period is intended to be temporary and match the duration of the Federal Government’s emergency aid under the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

Previously, the maximum period a temporary layoff could go on, without triggering termination, was 13 weeks in any period of 20 consecutive weeks. A week of layoff is a week in which an employee earns less than 50% of their regular weekly wages averaged over the previous 8 weeks.

The announcement can be found here.

The COVID-19 situation is rapidly evolving with new measures being adopted or modified at both the federal and provincial level. For further information, please consult our Coronavirus Resource Centre or contact any member of our DLA Piper Canadian Employment and Labour Law Service Group, who will ensure that you are acting upon the most up-to-date information.

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