B.C. labour laws failing kids, critics say
Province shells out millions in disability benefits to young workers injured on the job
Child safety advocates are urging the provincial government to change B.C. labour laws to protect the province’s youngest workers — those 15 and under — after more than $5 million in disability claims was paid to kids injured on the job between 2007-17.
“The stories we’ve heard are very concerning,” said Adrienne Montani, provincial coordinator with First Call B.C., a coalition of organizations that advocate for children and youth. In its work across the province, the coalition has heard from several injured children, including a 12-year-old with battery acid burns and a 13-year-old with a back injury.
She said First Call had reports of 13-year-olds on construction sites, sometimes working with their parents on the same job sites. In the retail and fast food industries, they’ve heard about the sex- ual harassment of young girls and of children under 15 working until 1 a.m.
From 2007-17, WorkSafeBC recorded 187 accepted claims by kids 14 and under, as well as 593 accepted claims by those age 15, for a total of 780 accepted claims, representing $5.2 million in disability benefits. The data does not include claims accepted for health care benefits only.
“As many children and youth begin summer jobs, it’s important for everyone to realize how few safeguards are in place to protect them from exploitation and injury,” said Montani. “We want B.C.’s child labour laws brought up to international standards.”
The call for reform was recently echoed by the B.C. Law Institute during its review of the Employment Standards Act.
“The province stands out in allowing young workers between 12 and 14 to engage in virtually any form of work without regulatory authorization,” said the review.
“The jobs that 12- to 15-year-olds in British Columbia are permitted to do extend to potentially hazardous forms of work such as construction, from which they are barred in neighbouring provinces and most of North America.”
According to WorkSafeBC data obtained by First Call, one child aged 14 was awarded a $29,887 short-term disability benefit in 2017. An incident report said the young worker was injured in the manufacturing sector when a concrete block fell and rolled over his legs.
The review, which is seeking public feedback until Aug. 31, recommends those under 16 should be prohibited from working in certain industries that are “likely to be injurious to the health, safety, or morals of persons under that age.”
In 2003, the Liberal government removed a permit requirement for children under 15, allowing kids to work with a letter from parents.
The letter is supposed to be kept by their employer.
“It puts the onus on parents to check if a work site is safe for their child, which can be quite awkward,” said Montani. “A teen doesn’t want their mom or dad poking around at their first job.”
First Call’s research shows 20 per cent of B.C. kids ages 12 and under do some kind of work. In 2008, 41 per cent of students in Grades 7-12 worked during the school year, up from 37 per cent in 2003.
“Young workers are particularly vulnerable,” said Montani. “They often don’t know their rights and they’re worried they’ll lose their job if they complain.”
Parents are also unclear about labour regulations. A public opinion survey commissioned in June by First Call found only six per cent of British Columbians could correctly identify the age at which a child can be formally employed (12 years with a parent’s note). Thirty-four per cent of residents surveyed assumed the minimum age for a child to begin work without a permit was 16 years old.
First Call wants the government to change child labour laws making some industries, such as construction, “off limits” to kids and restricting the hours they can work so they aren’t working through the night.
In the lead-up to the 2013 election, the NDP promised to tighten B.C.’s child labour laws. Labour Minister Harry Bains said it’s on the government’s radar.