Problem at work?

Not being treated fairly? As a worker in British Columbia, you have rights under provincial laws. And if an employer breaks the rules, you can take action and make them face the consequences.

Here are some steps you can take, and some links to organizations and information that will help.

Are you a union member?

As a union member in BC you have rights under your collective agreement. If you are having a problem at work, your union is the best place to get help. They’ll be able to answer your questions and respond to your concerns. And union representatives or shop stewards can work with you to resolve the issue.

Wondering what your collective agreement covers?

You can find a copy of all B.C. collective agreements at the Labour Relations Board website.

Help for non-union workers

Even if you aren’t part of a union, there are rules and protections in place to help all workers. There are minimum standards in BC law, and in some cases Canadian law, that protect your rights.

(That said, there’s nothing like having the strength of a union behind you. Here’s how to join a union.)

Know your rights

Here are some of the rights you are entitled to as a worker in BC. You can find more information about employment standards in BC at the Government of BC Employment Standards Branch. (Note that if you work in a federally-regulated workplace, the rules will be different.)

This is the minimum you are entitled to, and some employers may provide more. Unionized workplaces will have additional information about workers’ pay and rights in their collective agreements.

Minimum Wage: You should never be paid less than minimum wage for your work. The current minimum wage in BC as of June 1, 2025 is $17.85 per hour. (Get more info here.)

Breaks: You must receive a 30-minute unpaid meal break when you work more than five hours in a row.

Minimum Hours Per Day: Your shifts must be at least two hours long. If you report to work and there is no work, you must still be paid for two hours.

Overtime: If you work more than eight hours in a day or 40 hours in a week, you must be paid time-and-a-half or double-time for the extra hours.

Pregnancy Leave: If you give birth, you are entitled to up to 17 weeks of unpaid leave.

Sick Leave: You can take up to five days of paid sick leave and three days of unpaid sick leave in BC.

Domestic or Sexual Violence Leave: If you experience domestic or sexual violence, or a child of yours experiences or is exposed to domestic or sexual violence, you may take up to five days of paid leave, five days of unpaid leave and up to 15 weeks of additional unpaid leave.

Vacation: After working for one year, you are entitled to 2 weeks of paid vacation. This increases to 3 weeks of paid vacation after 5 years of employment.

Termination: If you are fired, you may be entitled to written notice or compensation. The amount will increase according to the number of years you have worked at the job.

Resources for all workers

The BCFED Health & Safety Centre provides training for workers and workplace representatives on how to improve and advocate for their safety at work.

The Worker Solidarity Network helps non-unionized and precarious workers understand their rights and file complaints.

You have the right under the BC Human Rights Code to have your human rights respected in the workplace, including freedom from discrimination. The BC Human Rights Tribunal deals with human rights complaints.

The Workers’ Advisers Office provides workers with free advice and assistance about workers' compensation issues.

The BC Employment Standards Coalition campaigns for stronger employment standards legislation in BC.

The Employment Standards Act sets the rules for payment and working conditions in most workplaces in BC.

Health and safety rights

BC’s unions have led the fight for safe workplaces and decent compensation for workers who are injured or become ill on the job. As a worker in British Columbia, you have four basic health and safety rights guaranteed by law:

the right to know about potential hazards, and to the training and information you need to keep yourself and your coworkers safe
the right to participate in identifying and addressing health and safety concerns
the right to refuse unsafe work — including work that's dangerous to another worker's health and safety
the right to protection from retaliation for participating in health and safety activities

Learn more about:

your health and safety rights on the job, from the BCFED Health & Safety Centre
everyone's workplace rights and responsibilities, from the Workers' Compensation Board

BCFED Health & Safety Centre

Check out their training courses and resources for workers!

Help for gig workers

There are many workers in BC doing app-based gig work, like food delivery or ride-hail driving. But their employers — mostly huge corporations based in Silicon Valley — have tried to shut them out of essential employment protections, including fair pay, sick days and severance requirements.

Workers deserve flexibility and the same basic rights and protections other workers are entitled to, such as:

fair pay for all the hours they work,
health and safety protections and compensation for injuries on the job,
paid sick days,
transparency and accountability from gig companies, and
the right to join a union.

In 2023, the BC government made partial progress for ridehail and food delivery workers, including affirming coverage through workers' compensation and some basic employment rights including pay for mileage.

But there's still a long way left to go before app-based gig workers have the full protection they deserve. In particular, the "engaged time" model promoted by employers and adopted by the government pays workers only for part of the time they work. And the government's way of dealing with that — a top-up to the minimum wage — doesn't come close to closing the gap.

One great recent development: Uber drivers in Victoria unionized with UFCW 1518 in summer 2025! (For information about joining a union, contact us confidentially at organize@bcfed.ca or 604-430-1421.)

As employers expand app-based work to other areas, it's crucial to ensure basic rights for workers no matter what form their work takes. And we'll keep fighting to make sure that happens.

In BC, we have the highest minimum wage and the most paid sick days of all of the provinces. We won these victories by standing together — and that's how we'll keep making life better for all workers in BC.

Sussanne Skidmore