2017 Legislative Session: 6th Session, 40th Parliament

FIRST READING

The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.

The printed version remains the official version.

MR. ANDREW WEAVER

BILL M 237 – 2017

WORKERS COMPENSATION AMENDMENT ACT, 2017

HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia, enacts as follows:

This Bill amends the Workers Compensation Act to ensure that employers do not set varying footwear requirements for their employees based on gender, gender expression or gender identity. Consequently, this Bill would make employers unable to require select employees to wear high heels and instead give them the option of wearing other types of appropriate footwear.

Section 111 (2) of the Workers Compensation Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 492, is amended by repealing paragraph (

a) and substituting the following:

(

a) to exercise its authority to make regulations to establish standards and requirements for the protection of the health and safety of workers and the occupational environment in which they work, provided that where possible, such standards must not vary based on workers’ gender, gender expression, or gender identity;

Explanatory Note

This Bill amends the Workers Compensation Act to ensure that employers do not set varying footwear requirements for their employees based on gender, gender expression or gender identity. Consequently, this Bill would make employers unable to require select employees to wear high heels and instead give them the option of wearing other types of appropriate footwear

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