Qs and As

Why is further research necessary?

Since Statscan does not track the participation of under 15s in the work force it virtually impossible to be certain about where children are working. Without the permit process, the BC government has no way of knowing. We see from the injury data that children are getting hurt doing jobs in  accommodation and food services, retail, agriculture, construction and manufacturing sectors.

Are BC’s child labour laws different from other places?

According to a Vancouver Sun headline on October 7, 2009 “B.C. child labour law among laxest on continent”. Research shows BC has the fewest restrictions on age, tasks, hours, and the time of day children as young as 12 can work.

What’s wrong with children working? Lots of kids deliver papers or babysit.

There is nothing wrong with safe, age appropriate work experiences. BC’s laws however put no limits on the types of work children age 12- 14 can do. The laws and regulations simply do not protect children from economic exploitation and exposure to dangerous situations.

What laws were in effect before 2003?

Employers were previously required to obtain a permit from the Ministry of Skills Development and Labour, as well as permission from parents and school authorities, to employ a child under the age of 15.  The permit process allowed Employment Standards Officers to put restrictions on the conditions of employment or simply refuse to issue a permit.

How do you know children weren’t getting injured before the law changed?

We can see from WorksafeBC data that children were getting injured on the job before the law changed in 2003.  Unfortunately, the data also shows a 10-fold increase in accepted injury claims between 2004 – 2008 after the law changed, allowing children to work in virtually all work places with no restrictions on the types of tasks.