Know Your Rights!

Young workers face many challenges today. Unaffordable housing, underpaid and precarious work, and a rapidly changing labour environment. New and young workers are also more likely to be injured on the job.

In B.C., workers are protected by the Employment Standards Act. The Act establishes an important floor of rights and entitlements. These include the minimum wage, a regular compensation schedule and overtime pay, a minimum of two hours’ pay each time you report for work, breaks for meals and resting, and more.

You Have The Right:

• to refuse unsafe work
• to be informed of potential or active dangers in your workplace
• to be properly trained for your job
• to report your employer to the Employment Standards Branch for violations of the Act
• to join a union

One of the best protections you have is worker solidarity – in other words, a strong union. Through history, unions have fought for the right to;

• Collective bargaining
• Better wages, benefits, and working conditions
• Protection from abuse by employers
• Ending harassment and discrimination at work

When you know your rights and stand with your fellow workers, we are all stronger, safer, and more secure.

Resources:

To file a complaint with the Employment Standards Branch, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/employment-standards-advice/employment-standards/complaint-process

For information on the right to refuse unsafe work, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/careers-myhr/all-employees/safety-health-well-being/workplace/refusing-unsafe-work

For more information on how to join a union, visit: https://bcfed.ca/join

“What We Desire For Ourselves, We Wish For All.”

This notice is endorsed by the Young Workers’ Committee of the BC Federation of Labour. The BCFED is an umbrella organization of unions in BC, collectively representing more than 500,000 workers.