Currently, B.C.’s employment standards (our laws that set a bare minimum of rights) look like this:
- Employers in B.C. do not need to have “just cause” to fire you
- Within the first 3 months of employment (the “probationary period”) an employer can fire you without giving you advance notice or a reason.
- After 3 months, an employer must either (a) give you written advance notice, or (b) pay you compensation depending on how long you’ve worked for them (they can also do a combination of a and b).
If you’re fired, your rights to pay or advance written notice look like this:
- After 3 months = 1 week pay and/or 1 week advance notice
- After 12 months = 2 weeks pay and/or 2 weeks advance
- After 3 years = 3 weeks pay and/or 3 weeks notice
- Beyond 3 years = add one additional weeks pay/ or advance weeks notice up to a max of 7.
We want to hear what you think about the rights that you have when it comes to being fired.