All JOHS Committee members are entitled to eight hours of employer-paid education leave each year to attend occupational health and safety education courses.
You are eligible if you are:
- A regular worker representative on the JOHSC
- An alternate worker representative on the JOHSC
- A worker health and safety representative
JOHSC members choose the OHS courses they’d like to participate in each year, based on their own assessment of:
- the knowledge and skills they want to develop to confidently perform their JOHSC duties,
- the hazards at their workplace, and the issues the JOHSC deals with
HEU recommends committee members attend courses put on by BCFED Health & Safety Centre.
You must request this education. If you don’t use it, it cannot be carried over to the next year.
If you are a new member, this annual education leave is provided in addition to the mandatory training for new members. Find out more about training for new members.
How to request annual education
Requests for education should be brought to your JOHS Committee for discussion and decision like any other committee business.
It’s a good idea for the committee to discuss its plan for annual education each year. You may decide to all take the same course, or you may decide to split the courses between you to cover more topics. For example, one member could take a course on investigations, another on ergonomics, and another on violence prevention.
If the committee does not agree, or is unable to come to a decision within a reasonable time, a committee member may forward their request directly to the employer. The employer must make a decision, within a reasonable time. Permission for education must not be unreasonably denied.
Once approved, you will need to apply for the education leave using the leave request process at your workplace.
- What if I am not approved to take the annual employer-paid JOHSC education?
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If the employer is unreasonably denying your right to attend annual JOHSC education, you can contact WorkSafeBC, which may investigate.
- If I don’t take my annual JOHSC education can I add it to the education for the next year?
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No. You are entitled to eight hours of JOHSC education annually, paid for by the employer. It is your responsibility to request it. If you do not request the JOHSC education, it does not carry over.
- My employer says I can only take their JOHSC education, is this true?
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No. If you are being unreasonably denied the right to attend relevant annual JOHSC education offered through a registered provider, such as the BCFED Health and Safety Center, contact WorkSafeBC, and they may investigate.
- Where can I find language explaining the employer’s obligation to provide the eight hours of annual JOHSC education?
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The obligation is outlined in the Workers’ Compensation Act.
"Your employer must provide the educational leave under this section without the loss of pay or other benefits and must pay for, or reimburse the worker for, the cost of the training course and the reasonable cost for attending the course."
-- from the Workers’ Compensation Act, Part 2 Division 5 Section 41 (3) Educational leave for committee members.
- Can I participate in the JOHSC meetings before I’ve attended any JOHSC courses?
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Yes! Your work experience speaks volumes. Your employer cannot stop you from participating, once you’ve been appointed.
Learn more about your education opportunities
Find out about mandatory training for new JOHSC members
Find out about union-paid OHS education
Find out about education entitlements in collective agreements