British Columbia Federation of Labour

Today the B.C. Federation of Labour launched the Employee Action and Rights Network (EARN) in Vancouver.

In 2002, the Liberal government gutted employment standards in BC. This included eliminating the requirement that basic employment standards be posted in all workplaces. As a result the Federation regularly gets phone calls from workers who do not understand many of their fundamental rights on the job.

"There are laws in place to protect people at work, but too often workers aren't given this information and they don't know where to find it," says Federation President Jim Sinclair.

Today, Federation volunteers conducted a street survey quiz, explained basic employment standards and began signing up members to EARN.

"EARN will be an important new resource for people anywhere in the province who want to know more about their workplace rights" says Sinclair. "The EARN network will provide answers to the questions these workers have. The EARN network will also create an opportunity for people who want to work together to begin to improve their working conditions. It will be a place to share stories and find out how other workers have dealt with similar situations."

If a customer leaves a restaurant without paying, who has to pay the bill?
How much paid vacation time are you entitled to?
What is the minimum working age in BC?

Take the street survey quiz yourself, on the next pages, and see how well you know basic workplace rights.

For more information: Evan Stewart, Director of Communications (604) 220-3095 or visit www.earnbc.ca

Please take a few moments to answer these questions:
1. What is the hourly minimum wage in BC?
a. $6.00
b. $8.00
c. $9.00
d. $10.00

2. If somebody shows up to a one-hour meeting on their day off, how much time should they be paid for?
a. 4 hours
b. 3 hours
c. 2 hours
d. Nothing

3. If a customer leaves a restaurant without paying for their food who has to pay the bill?
a. The server
b. The employer
c. The host
d. All of the staff

4. If you work for one year, how much paid vacation time are you entitled to?
a. One week
b. Two weeks
c. Three weeks
d. Four weeks

5. What is the minimum working age in BC?
a. 12
b. 14
c. 15
d. 16

Thanks for taking our challenge.

Here are the answers to the questions we just asked.
1. What is the hourly minimum wage in BC?
a. $6.00
b. $8.00
c. $9.00
d. $10.00
If you have never worked before, you can be paid as little as $6.00 an hour for your first 500 hours of work. If you have completed 500 hours (and this can be at different jobs which would equal 500 hours) you are then entitled to $8.00 an hour.

2 .If somebody shows up to a one-hour meeting on their day off, how much time should they be paid for?
a. 4 hours
b. 3 hours
c. 2 hours
d. Nothing
You must be paid for meetings and orientations. If you show up for work (a meeting or to work for the day) you must get paid for at least 2 hours of work. This means that if you are scheduled for 4 hours of work, and they send you home because it is not busy, you must be paid for at least 2 hours - and if you are scheduled for 8 hours, you should be paid for 4 hours.

3. When customers take off without paying their bill, who has to pay the bill?
a. The server
b. The employer
c. The host
d. All of the staff
An employer cannot withhold, deduct or ask for money in the case of a restaurant customer who leaves without paying. They also cannot withhold wages for things such as breakages, shoplifting or even shortages at a cash register. It is illegal for the boss to ask for you to pay for this (even if it is from tips), and employers can even face fines for doing so.

4. If you work for one year, how much time should you have off with pay?
a. One week
b. Two weeks
c. Three weeks
d. Four weeks
After one year of employment, you are entitled to have two weeks' vacation with pay each year. In fact, the law requires that the boss ensures that an employee takes the two weeks and not work through it.
After you have worked five years, you get additional an additional week of paid vacation.

5. What is the minimum working age in BC.
a. 12
b. 14
c. 15
d. 16
Believe it or not, 12 year olds can legally work in BC; all they need is a letter of permission from one parent. There are not even limits on the type of work children can perform.