In this last week of March, we thought we’d conclude our series of new Collective Agreement items columns with an update on paid sick leave that takes effect with the 2025-2028 contract. 

• The paid sick leave terms of the BC Employment Standards Act still apply. In order to qualify for five paid sick days per year, an employee must work continuously for a period of 90 days for that same employer. 
• In this round we achieved language that – for sick leave purposes only – deems employment continuous when an Employee works on consecutive seasons of the same series, provided that (i) the end of one season and the beginning of the next season are less than six months apart; and (ii) the employee works to the end of one season and re-starts employment at the beginning of the next season. 
• This means that employees will not lose eligibility for provincial sick leave in the Employment Standards Act as a result of a break between seasons of less than six months. 

Click here for examples of how this new language would be applied.

As always, let us know if you have any questions!

Alexis Hinde
Assistant Business Agent and Field Rep