On June 3, 2021, the federal government established a new national holiday to be observed by all federal government employees and by federally regulated workplaces. The new statutory holiday, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, is to be observed starting on September 30th, 2021.[1]
August 6, 2021, the B.C. provincial government announced that it would “honour” the holiday for all public sector employees. As such, the B.C. government advised its public-sector employers to provide the day to their employees, as obliged to in union collective agreements.[2] The B.C. Ministry of Health has yet to confirm how care providers will be reimbursed for costs related to the stat holiday.
In contrast, the province’s Employment Standards Act — which lists holidays that businesses must honour by closing or paying overtime wages — remains unchanged. Private sector employers without applicable collective agreements are not required to observe the holiday.
Unionized private sector employers are encouraged to consult their legal counsel to determine the applicability of the stat holiday as per their own collective agreements.
BCCPA will continue to update its membership on this issue as more information becomes available. Read the B.C. government news release here.
[1] Bounchard, B. (2021, July 30). National Day for Truth and Reconciliation… September 30th is now a statutory holiday. The Star. Retrieved from: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation … September 30th is now a statutory holiday | The Star
[2] Grochowski, S. (2021, August 06). B.C. hasn’t made ‘Orange Shirt Day’ a statutory holiday but some schools, workplaces plan to close. Vancouver Sun. Retrieved from: B.C. hasn’t made ‘Orange Shirt Day’ a statutory holiday but some schools, workplaces plan to close | Vancouver Sun
Feature image: Courtesy of National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation website.
