Employers in British Columbia will no longer be required to allow their employees to work from home, following a change to the province’s COVID-19 health orders.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry amended her order on workplace safety Thursday “to support the transition of employees back into the workplace,” according to a media release from the Ministry of Health.
Under the previous version of the order, employers had to let staff work from home “if possible, given the nature of the work involved, unless the employer had an operational requirement to have the worker in the workplace.”
The ministry says workplaces will still need to have COVID-19 safety plans in place, and that masks remain mandatory in certain workplaces, including those in indoor public places such as malls and grocery stores.
The move comes as the province lifts capacity limits on organized events such as sports games, and removes restrictions on bars and nightclubs.
The B.C. Vaccine Card, also known as the vaccine passport, remains in effect and will be reviewed in March and again in April.