The Latest B.C. Employment Legislation Updates

British Columbia’s 2025 Legislative Changes

Here are the legislative updates that have been passed or become active in 2025.

International Credentials Recognition Act, 2023

• Canadian Experience Ban: Employers can no longer require “Canadian work experience” in job postings across 18 regulated professions, shifting to competency-based assessments.

Bill 11 (Employment Standards Amendment Act)

• Sick-Note Ban: Employers can no longer require a medical note for short-term illness leave. Details (like how many days count as “short-term”) will be clarified in regulations soon. Absences must be managed without this verification, forcing businesses to rethink absence tracking.

Occupational Health and Safety Regulation amendments

• Emergency Planning Amendments: Employers handling hazardous substances must expand their emergency planning. Plans must now cover risks from outside the workplace, be updated annually, include joint committee input, and outline evacuation procedures that also notify adjacent workplaces and residences.

British Columbia’s 2024 Legislative Changes for HR

The following acts have been passed in prior years, but they may have been revised or become active in 2024, meaning all B.C. businesses should be aware!

Amendments to the Employment Standards Act, 2021

• Increased paid sick leave: Employees in B.C. became entitled to 5 paid sick days per year, on top of existing protections under the Employment Standards Act. This meant employers had to adjust policies, payroll systems, and absence management processes.

Pay Transparency Act

• Pay Transparency: Employers with 50+ employees (Nov 2023), 100+ (2024), and 300+ (2025) are required to begin publishing annual pay transparency reports. Job postings also must include wage or salary information.

Employment Standards Amendment Act (No. 2), 2024 (British Columbia) + Workers Compensation Amendment Act, 2024

• Gig worker protections: Ride-hail and food-delivery drivers are now defined as employees under the ESA and WCA. This means you must now provide minimum wage for all hours worked, transparent pay/destination information, expense coverage, and protect tips.

Upcoming Legislative Changes for British Columbia

Pay Transparency Act, 2023 (British Columbia) — with obligations continuing to expand through 2026 onward

B.C. is expected to further expand pay transparency obligations, rolling requirements to smaller employers, and align job posting rules more closely with Ontario.