How B.C.'s New Rules Affect Gig Worker Rights in Canada

British Columbia has become the first Canadian province or territory to establish minimum labour standards for app-based gig workers, including rideshare drivers and food delivery couriers.

The regulations, which took effect on Sept. 3, introduce a range of protections for gig workers in the province: a minimum wage for engaged time, mileage compensation, clear upfront fare information, and formal rules for account deactivation and dispute resolution. The rules also ensure gig workers are registered with WorkSafeBC for workers’ compensation coverage, giving them access to wage-loss and rehabilitation benefits if they are injured on the job.

If you work through gig apps or are considering joining the platforms, here is a concise guide to what these new protections mean and how rights for app-based workers compare across Canada.

What led to new gig worker protections in B.C.?

The new regulations are the result of years of organizing by unions and advocacy from gig workers themselves seeking coverage under provincial employment standards. Historically, provincial labour laws have treated app-based workers as independent contractors rather than employees. That classification has excluded many workers from ordinary workplace protections such as a minimum wage, and traditional entitlements around termination and severance. It has also meant platforms were not required to make employment insurance or Canada Pension Plan contributions for these workers.

The number of people working for ride-hailing and delivery services has grown rapidly in recent years, boosting the visibility of these issues. Labour and advocacy groups pushed for clearer rules to correct power imbalances between platforms and gig workers and to provide basic protections normally associated with employment.

Wages for gig workers

B.C. is now the first province or territory to set a minimum wage specifically for app-based gig workers. The gig-worker minimum is set at $20.88 per hour, which is 120% of the province’s general minimum wage of $17.40. This higher rate applies only to “engaged time”—the period a driver or courier spends actively fulfilling an assignment. When a worker’s engaged time earnings for a pay period fall below the gig-worker minimum, the platform must top up wages at payment time. Tips are excluded from the minimum wage calculation.

This approach is intended to address the significant idle time many drivers and couriers face when waiting for assignments or pickups. While the calculation is not perfect, it aims to reduce income volatility and better reflect the realities of platform work.

Tips and vehicle allowances

Under the new rules, platforms must pass 100% of tips to workers. B.C. also introduced a vehicle allowance to help cover vehicle expenses. Drivers using personal vehicles receive 45 cents per kilometre; those using motorized e-bikes, bicycles, or other non-personal-vehicle transport receive 35 cents per kilometre. Workers who travel on foot are not eligible for the kilometre allowance.

At present, B.C. is unique among Canadian jurisdictions in mandating both full tip retention and a regulated vehicle allowance, although other provinces have pursued reforms that include tip protections and wage guarantees.

Upfront fare transparency

One long-standing complaint from gig workers was the lack of clear information about fares and trip distances before accepting assignments. The B.C. regulations require platforms to provide fare and distance estimates so workers can make informed choices. Platforms have been moving toward greater transparency in recent years, offering drivers upfront estimates of expected destinations and fares in some regions.

Health and safety

Health and safety concerns are a major issue for app-based workers, particularly those who do deliveries or transport passengers in public spaces. The new regulations require platforms to register workers for WorkSafeBC coverage, which provides wage-loss benefits and vocational rehabilitation if a worker is injured on the job. That protection was previously unavailable for most gig workers outside B.C.

Account deactivations and dispute resolutions

Account suspensions and deactivations have long been a source of frustration for gig workers because platforms often provided little explanation and offered limited recourse. The new rules require platforms to provide reasons when suspending or terminating an account and to give notice or compensation when terminating workers without cause. Suspensions are generally limited to 14 days unless an exception is required, for instance to comply with a law-enforcement order.

Where workers have access to union representation or other advocacy, the new framework gives them more options for resolving disputes beyond the platform’s internal processes. In some cases, union agreements have already led to reinstatements and negotiated resolutions for affected workers.

Addressing unfair practices and collective action

Before these regulations, gig workers contesting unfair treatment typically had to appeal directly to platforms, pursue costly legal challenges, or attempt to organize collective action. All of those routes posed significant challenges: court cases are expensive and slow, and union drives face legal and logistical hurdles, including proving the size and composition of a workforce that often has high turnover and fluctuates by region.

By bringing app-based work within the scope of provincial standards and allowing access to workers’ compensation and dispute mechanisms, B.C.’s rules create a new pathway for workers to raise complaints formally and seek remedies beyond discussions with the platform itself. Advocates say the change provides an important safety net and a starting point for additional reforms to ensure fairer, safer conditions for gig workers across the country.

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How B.C.’s New Rules Affect Gig Worker Rights in Canada