Whereas elected officials are regularly exposed to health and safety risks, including COVID-19, in the course of serving their constituents; And whereas WorkSafe BC regulations cover local government employees, but not elected officials: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Province of BC amend the WorkSafe BC health, safety and COVID-19 regulations to provide coverage for local elected officials.
Ministry of Labour The Ministry of Labour Ministry is responsible for WorkSafeBC, the Workers Compensation Act Act, and regulations under that Act. The Province, the Ministry, and WorkSafeBC take the safety of all workers in British Columbia seriously and recognize the importance of the health and safety of all British Columbians who are active in both the private and public sectors of the economy. Currently, elected officials e.g., provincialmunicipal government, school or library boards, etc. are not considered workers or employers under the Act and, therefore, the Act does not apply to them in this capacity. While Personal Optional Protection is not available to these individuals, local governments have the option of purchasing insurance coverage for their elected officials from private sector insurance carriers. The Union of British Columbia Municipalities UBCM may wish to investigate this option further to determine insurance rates and options for group coverage. UBCM and individual local governments may wish to raise this issue directly with WorkSafeBC to explore whether there are options under existing legislation.