British Columbia

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British Columbia - Compensation & Benefit Legislation

BRITISH COLUMBIA- AASHOWME

Demonstrates www.BenefitsReview.com™ site. Illustrates insurance carriers coverages within the Province.

BRITISH COLUMBIA - CONSULATE

Consulate General - Vancouver

1075 West Pender Street Mezzanine

Mailing address: 1095 West Pender Street

Vancouver, BC V6E 2M6

BRITISH COLUMBIA - COST-OF-LIVING

ERI's Relocation Assessor™ is a recommended source for U.S./Canadian cost-of-living and U.S. Automobile Cost Survey.

BRITISH COLUMBIA - GARNISHMENTS

Exemption - 70% of wages are exempt. In no case will the exemption be less than $100 for a single person or $200 for a person with dependents.

Maintenance and Support Orders - Such orders require deduction to start immediately. Exemption requires the employee to be left with ½ of the first $600 and 2/3 of anything over $600 with a minimum of $100 be left with the employee.

Wage Assignments - An employee may assign a portion of his/her wages to a union, charity, pension, insurance, or credit union. Assignment for maintenance orders may also be authorized.

BRITISH COLUMBIA - GROUP HEALTH CODE ADDITIONS

Hospital & Medical Care Premiums:

$36.00 per month for single;
$64.00 for family of 2;
$72.00 per month for family of 3 or more. (Effective 10/1/93)

Waiting Period - A resident is eligible at midnight on the last day of the second month following the month in which the person became a resident.

(British Columbia Labour Standards)

BRITISH COLUMBIA - HOLIDAYS

New Year's; Good Friday; Victoria Day; Canada Day; British Columbia Day (1st Monday in August); Labour Day; Thanksgiving Day; Remembrance Day; Christmas Day.

Statutory Holiday Pay (if worked):

Time + one-half regular pay or alternate day at rate of time + one-half for first 11 hours.
After 11 hours, double time plus alternate day with regular pay.

(British Columbia Labour Standards)

BRITISH COLUMBIA - JURY DUTY & WITNESS TIME OFF

Employee must be granted leave to serve as a juror and must be returned to the same or similar job held before the leave.

BRITISH COLUMBIA - LEAVES OF ABSENCE

Family Responsibility Leave - 5 days of unpaid leave per year to meet responsibilities relating to the care, health, or education of children or other immediate family members.

Bereavement Leave - 3 days unpaid leave on the death of an immediate family member.

BRITISH COLUMBIA - MINIMUM AGE

Minimum age in British Columbia is 15. Employment under the age of 15 must be approved by the Director of Employment Standards.

BRITISH COLUMBIA - MINIMUM REMUNERATION

Minimum Remuneration:

General Minimum Wage: $8.00 per hour (effective November 1, 2001)
First Job/Entry Level Minimum Wage: $6.00 per hour

Minimum Daily Remuneration: 2 hours; 4 hours if work is begun.

Overtime: Time + one-half over 8 hours of 40 hours per week.

Double Time: over 11 hours or 48 hours per week.

(British Columbia Labour Standards)

BRITISH COLUMBIA - PARENTAL LEAVE

Maternity Leave: 18 weeks.

Parental Leave: Each parent: 12 weeks.

(British Columbia Labour Standards)

BRITISH COLUMBIA - PENSION PLANS

Eligibility for Membership - Employees are eligible to join the plan after two years of continuous employment.

Vesting - The vesting period is five years of continuous employment.

Interest on Employee Contributions - Employee contributions are entitled to interest calculated by:

the rate of return of the pension fund, or
the rate of interest of the average yield of 5-year fixed term bank deposits.

Maximum Employee Contribution - In a defined benefit plan the employer contribution to the plan’s value must be at least 50%.

Normal Retirement - Normal retirement is that time which the employee may retire with no reduction in the retirement.

Early Retirement - No specific time is given but the retirement value may be reduced.

Survivor Benefits - Where an employee dies before retiring, the spouse is entitled to a plan benefit. In a defined benefit plan the surviving spouse is entitled to the value of the deceased employee’ contributions, plus 60% of the amount the deceased would be eligible for on the date of death.

All pension plans must be in the form of a joint and survivor plan. The surviving spouse is entitled to at least 60% of the deceased retirees pension.

Portability - An employee who terminates may transfer his/her pension rights to:

another pension plan,
a locked-in RRSP,
a deferred pension plan offered by an insurance company.

BRITISH COLUMBIA - PREVAILING WAGE/IMMIGRANT PAY

Neither Canada nor any of the provinces has "prevailing wage" regulations that relate to foreign workers. There is a policy in place regarding immigrants that ensures that employers first consider Canadian citizens, as well as permanent residents, and that the entry of foreign workers will not adversely affect employment or career opportunities for Canadian citizens and permanent residents. In general, the offer of employment to a foreign worker requires validation by a Human Resources Canada Centre (HRCC), except when a foreign worker is exempt through an international agreement or falls under one of the exemption categories (wages and working conditions, the employer's efforts to consider Canadian citizens as well as permanent residents, etc.). These cases must be examined by a Human Resources and Development Canada (HRDC) officer in order to grant a validation of an offer of employment. Canada does not have any salary scale established, but rather the officers consider the experience of the worker, the education, and the job market situation, unions, and job advertisements to determine whether that the pay is "acceptable Canadian wages". For more information on hiring foreign workers, refer to the Human Resources and Development Canada's web site http://www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/hrib/lmd-dmt/fw-te/common/a.shtml, as well as the Citizenship and Immigration Canada's web site http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/about/faq/ask%2D16e.html. These two federal departments are responsible for this policy. The former is responsible for the validation of the offer of employment; the latter is responsible for the employment authorization.

BRITISH COLUMBIA - REMUNERATION

ERI's Relocation Assessor™ is a recommended source for U.S./Canadian wages & salaries (covering 3,000 positions).

BRITISH COLUMBIA - TERMINATION & SEVERANCE PAY

Notice of Termination by Employer: 1 week after 3 months; 2 weeks after 12 months; 3 weeks after 3 years; 1 additional week for every year to a maximum of 8 weeks.

Vacation Pay Upon Termination: 4% of annual remuneration after 5 days employment. 6% after 5 years.

(British Columbia Labour Standards)

Payment Required: Within 48 hours of termination.

BRITISH COLUMBIA - UNEMPLOYMENT TAX

See Canadian Federal Unemployment Insurance

BRITISH COLUMBIA - VACATION PAY

2 weeks; after 5 years, 3 weeks.

(British Columbia Labour Standards)

BRITISH COLUMBIA - VOTING TIME OFF

Time Allowed: Period to allow four hours between opening and closing of polls.

Penalties for violation: Individual fine not more that $100. Corporation fine not less that $250.

Authority: Election Act, R.S.B.C. 1979, c. 103, s. 199.

BRITISH COLUMBIA - WORKERS' COMPENSATION

Maximum Assessable Earnings - $54,000.

Waiting Periods -

Pay for day of injury - no.

Compensation for day of injury - no.

Compensation payable day after injury - yes.

Waiting Period - no.

Weekly Benefits for Temporary Disability - 75% of gross earnings.

Monthly Permanent Disability - 75% of pre-accident average gross earnings, with a maximum of $3,387.50 a month and a minimum of $1,179.74 .

Administration: Workers' Compensation Board, P.O. Box 5350, Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 5L5.

(British Columbia Labour Standards)