Working notice and COVID-19

[vickyp]

#80606

We are a BC employer. We have given an employee 3 weeks working notice prior to the COVID-19 virus becoming a huge topic. Now the employee has called in sick with mild but possible COVID-19 symptoms. As a precaution we are going to direct the employee to stay home for 14 days or until symptoms have completely disappeared. How does this affect their notice period – Do they technically have to be able to work their working notice period?

[vickyp]

#80605

First, WorkSafeBC is calling on employers to require employees who are feeling ill to stay away for at least 14 days, regardless of whether the illness is confirmed as COVID-19. https://www.worksafebc.com/en/about-us/covid-19-updates/health-and-safety/what-employers-should-do So, coming back is out of the question, or at least should be.
I’m not the payroll expert, but I believe that BC does NOT require that employees be available to work during the working notice period. In other words, you don’t have to let them work thru the notice period if you don’t want to. So, I don’t think the employee’s unavailability has any impact on termination notice. But just to be sure, I’m running your Q by our payroll guru, Alan McEwen, and will let you know as soon as I hear back from him. Hope that helps and I’ll get back to u. Glenn

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