A B.C. labour advocacy group is seeking your worst work stories to help change B.C.'s Employment Standards Act.

The B.C. Employment Standards Coalition is holding a series of public forums in Metro Vancouver between Oct. 11 and Oct. 20, 2016.

David Fairey, co-chair of the coalition, said the forums give employees an opportunity to tell their stories in private in one-on-one interviews that can be shared anonymously if desired.

Fairey said he expects many complainants will come from industries with a lot of precarious employment.

"Whether it be hospitality, whether it's the restaurant industry, security guards, retail, wholesale, these are the areas we believe there are a lot of abuses," he said.

However, he thinks other highly-paid sectors — particularly the computer animation industry — are also vulnerable to abuse.

"It cuts across diverse industries and depends a lot on whether or not they're established employers or fly-by night operators who try to take advantage of workers who don't know their own rights," he said.

Complements work by the B.C. Law Institute

The B.C. Law Institute is currently conducting a formal review of the Employment Standards Act. Information from the coalition's forums will be shared with the B.C. Law Institute, Fairey said.

The forums are one of the only opportunities for workers to voice their concerns during the review process, he added.

"The law institute doesn't have the budget and is not inclined to hold public forums. We're doing this to assemble information we think they should receive from workers themselves," he said.

The B.C. Law Institute is expected to issue its preliminary report next summer. Fairey said it could take a few years before the provincial government makes any changes.

With files from The Early Edition

To hear the interview, click on the link labelled Labour advocacy group seeking bad job stories to help change employment laws