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B.C. holding roundtables with gig economy workers as it mulls legislative changes

British Columbia is hosting a series of in-person roundtables to hear directly from gig workers about their jobs and working conditions.

The province wants to hear about unique challenges for app-based ride hailing and delivery workers.

The roundtables are part of a provincewide work strategy for workers whose jobs could be described as precarious, the government said. The strategy is being led by Adam Walker, parliamentary secretary for the New Economy.

Gig work is an income-earning activity outside of standard, long-term employer-employee relationships.

The point of the review is to ensure appropriate standards are in place, it said. It could include proposing new employment standards amendments for gig workers, as well as ensuring these employees are not incorrectly classified as independent contractors.

The government said it also wants to hear from workers who use this as their primary source of income and those who use it as supplementary income. Translation services will be provided where possible. Written comments can be submitted online to precariousworkstrategy@gov.bc.ca

The sessions will be scheduled throughout November 2022 in communities throughout the province. As they are confirmed, details of each roundtable will be posted online. For more information, visit https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/employment-standards-advice/precarious-work-strategy

In May 2020, a Statistics Canada report estimated about one in 10 Canadians in the workforce (1.7 million people) are gig workers. Currently, many app-based drivers are paid only for “active time” and may earn less than minimum wage for a shift, the province said.