Since January 2022, residents of British Columbia are entitled to an additional 5 paid sick days, paid by their employer, in addition to the 3 unpaid sick days provided by the Employment Standards Act.

Eligibility

The paid sick leave entitlement applies to all employees covered by the Employment Standards Act (ESA), including part-time, temporary or casual employees.

The ESA doesn’t cover certain types of employees, including:

• Federally-regulated sectors
• Self-employed workers or independent contractors
• Employees in professions and occupations excluded from the ESA

Find out if employment standards apply to you.

If you are an employee

You can take up to 5 days of paid leave per year for any personal illness or injury. Your employer may request reasonably sufficient proof of illness.

This entitlement is in addition to the 3 days of unpaid sick leave currently provided by the Employment Standards Act.

You must have worked with your employer for at least 90 days to be eligible for the paid sick days.

If you are an employer

You are required to provide your eligible employees with up to 5 days of paid sick leave per year if they need to stay home because they are sick or injured.

You need to pay your employees their regular wages for these days. They do not have to be taken consecutively.

Employees are also entitled to 3 days of unpaid sick leave.