Laws that apply in BC
BC has a two-track privacy regime:
- BC PIPA applies to private-sector organizations (businesses, charities, non-profits, professional regulators).
- BC FIPPA applies to public bodies, including provincial ministries, municipalities, school boards, universities, and health authorities.
- PIPA itself contains the rules for employee personal information (ss.13, 16 and 19), which apply when an organization collects, uses, or discloses information about its employees.
- PIPEDA still applies to federal works, undertakings, and businesses (banks, airlines, telecoms) operating in BC.
Employee privacy under PIPA
BC PIPA (like Alberta PIPA) has specific rules for employee personal information, recognizing that employees may not always have a meaningful choice about workplace monitoring.
Organizations must only collect, use, or disclose employee information reasonably necessary for establishing, managing, or terminating the employment relationship and must notify employees.
Access and correction
Under both PIPA and FIPPA, you have a right to access personal information an organization or public body holds about you and to correct inaccuracies. Response times are generally 30 days.
The OIPC can order disclosure or correction if an organization refuses without justification.
Complaints and enforcement
The OIPC BC has order-making powers under both PIPA and FIPPA. It can investigate complaints, conduct audits, and issue binding orders. PIPA has no administrative monetary penalty regime; offences carry fines of up to $10,000 for an individual and $100,000 for an organization (s.56), far below the Quebec ceilings.