The Government of B.C. has announced some changes to unpaid leave that could take effect as soon as this fall.

If the proposed changes to the Employment Standard Act are approved, they would add additional provisions for people who might be dealing with a catastrophic injury or illness.

The changes would allow for 27 weeks (approximately six months) of unpaid leave each year.

B.C. Premier David Eby, alongside Jennifer Whiteside from the B.C. Ministry of Labour, spoke about the changes to unpaid leave at a conference in Victoria on Monday.

“One of the areas where we know we have to do better is supporting people with long-term illnesses, chronic conditions, or conditions that don’t immediately resolve after a short period of time,” Eby said.

Eby pointed to illnesses like cancer and multiple sclerosis as examples.

“If you’re doing chemotherapy, for example, you’re able to take the time you need off work and return to your job,” he said.

Whiteside said this is a change that many have been asking for.

“This change that we are making to the Employment Standards Act is something patient advocate groups have been talking about for a long time,” Whiteside said.

Whiteside said these changes would also include victims of intimate partner violence, “mostly women and gender diverse people, for whom up to 92 per cent have signs and symptoms of traumatic brain injury.”

Eby referenced other changes that the Province has made to the Employment Standards Act this year, such as no longer requiring employers to request medical notes from employees.

Whiteside added that the changes B.C. is introducing already exist in other parts of Canada, such as Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia.

The leave must be accessed and taken within a 12-month period.

“To access the entitlement, employees must obtain a medical certificate from a doctor or nurse practitioner stating that they are unable to work due to medical reasons and the dates during which leave is required,” the B.C. The Ministry of Labour said in a statement.

“There are 245,000 people living with cancer in British Columbia, 42% of whom have
survived more than 10 years after diagnosis,” the ministry added.