Your rights at work

The rights you have at work are not a gift from the government or the boss. They were fought for and won by workers and unions over many years.

Here are some of those rights:

The right to take leave from work

You have the right to take leave from work for a variety of reasons. Collective agreements vary, but leave, with or without pay, may include annual vacation leave, statutory holidays, compassionate and bereavement leave, education and special leave, maternity, parental and adoption leave, family responsibility and child care leave, intimate partner, or gender-based violence leave, and leave for cultural observances.

The right to reasonable hours of work, regular breaks and overtime pay

You have the right to reasonable hours of work, overtime pay when your hours are excessive, and regular breaks for your physical and mental health and work/life balance. When we work excessive hours without overtime pay or work through our breaks, it is wage theft. 

The right to a respectful workplace that is free of discrimination

You have the right to a workplace free of harassment and bullying, and to be treated respectfully by your co-workers and boss, and by clients, residents or patients, and members of the public.

The right to bargain collectively for better pay, benefits and working conditions

You have the right to bargain with your employer together with coworkers in a union to improve wages, benefits, and other working conditions. When we bargain together, we have more power than we do as individuals

The rights to a healthy and safe workplace, to refuse unsafe work, and to be compensated for job-related illnesses and injuries

You have the right to know about any potential hazards in the workplace, to participate in identifying and resolving health and safety concerns, and to refuse work you believe is unsafe. You have the right to be compensated and supported for injuries and illnesses related to your job. 

To learn more about these and other rights at work – and how we got them, think about taking our STEP UP! course. Sign into the My BCGEU member portal to learn about this and other free learning opportunities. Sign up to the My BCGEU member portal here.

Download PDF of bulletin here

UWU/MoveUP