In what amounts to a major procedural overhaul, British Columbia has introduced legislation aimed at modernizing the way its Employment Standards Branch handles workplace complaints from non-unionized employees and temporary foreign workers.

“Although the government’s press release does not mention this, my understanding is that these amendments come in response to a significant backlog at the ESB,” says Cameron Wardell, a partner at Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark LLP. “As things stand, my clients can wait months and months for their complaints to be addressed.”

But, timeliness apart, the changes will impact employers in other ways too. “From an employer’s standpoint, perhaps the most significant proposal is that, in certain circumstances, the legislation will require employers to deposit amounts owing before appealing a determination,” Wardell says.

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From a procedural perspective, Bill 10,........

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