You may recall that British Columbia previously extended the temporary layoff period to a maximum of 24 weeks for layoffs related to COVID-19, ending on August 30th, 2020.

Since that date is quickly approaching, it’s time to consider whether or not you’ll need to apply for a variance to extend those layoffs past the end of the month. To assist with this application, the government has created an online tool to help employers apply for the variance. It’s important to note that in order to get approved for this ahead of August 30th, applications must be submitted by August 25th.

Please keep in mind that the support of at least 50% of the employees affected by the layoffs need to be documented ahead of applying for the variance.

A new expiration date for temporary layoffs due to COVID-19 has been set as December 31st, 2020 for those that have applied and been approved for the variance.

The application process is free and takes around 15 minutes. Each application will be considered on a case by case basis. The application can be found here.

If you have any questions about this or temporary layoffs generally, please do not hesitate to reach out to speak with an e2r® Advisor.