HAZARD BULLETIN FOR ALL UFCW 1518 HEALTH & SAFETY COMMITTEE MEMBERS

HAZARD BULLETIN: EDUCATIONAL LEAVE

It has come to the Union’s attention that some committee members electing to take WorkSafeBC authorized Health and Safety courses have been told that they will not have the $85.00 tuition fee covered by the employer.

This is in violation of the Workers Compensation Act. The Act states, as excerpted below:  The Employer must provide the educational leave under this section without loss of pay or other benefits and must pay for, or reimburse the worker for, the costs of the training course and the reasonable costs of attending the course.

The Health and Safety courses offered through the BC Federation of Labour Health and Safety Centre are subsidized and approved by the Workers Compensation Board.  The Board has repeatedly ordered employers to ensure that reasonable access to these courses is allowed, including the payment of expenses, as per the Law.  We would advise all employers to comply with the Act, otherwise, a formal complaint will be lodged and the Union will request both the tuition and fines, under the Workers Compensation Act.

WORKERS COMPENSATION ACT: EDUCATIONAL LEAVE

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(1) Each member of a joint committee is entitled to annual education leave totaling eight (8) hours, or a longer period if prescribed by regulation, for the purposes of attending occupational health and safety training courses conducted by or with the approval of the Board.

(2) A member of the joint committee may designate another member as being entitled to take all or part of the member’s educational leave.

(3) The employer must provide the educational leave under this section without loss of pay or other benefits and must pay for, or reimburse the worker for, the costs of the training course and the reasonable costs of attending the course.

PLEASE POST ON UNION BULLETIN BOARD