B.C. Statutory Holiday Pay: A Guide for 2024

Understanding how statutory holiday pay works in British Columbia is essential for both employers and employees. This guide provides a straightforward overview of the rules for public holiday pay in B.C. for provincially regulated employees, for the year 2024.

What is Statutory Holiday Pay in B.C.?

Statutory holiday pay is the compensation that provincially regulated employees are entitled to receive for being off work on a public holiday in B.C.. The Employment Standards Act (ESA) sets out the requirements for statutory holiday pay.

Eligibility for Statutory Holiday Pay

To be eligible for stat pay in the province, you must have:

• Been employed for 30 calendar days
• Worked or earned wages (i.e. paid vacation days or another statutory holiday) on 15 of the 30 days before a statutory holiday

If a statutory holiday falls on a day that would otherwise be a day off according to your employer’s regular work schedule, you should still receive stat pay.

Calculating 2024 B.C. Statutory Holiday Pay

To determine how much statutory holiday pay you should receive, you need to:

1. Determine your total wages during the 30 calendar days before the statutory holiday
2. Divide the amount from Step One by the number of days you worked during the 30 calendar days before the statutory holiday

The formula is: total wages ÷ number of days worked = statutory holiday pay (an average day’s pay)

Determining total wages

This part of the calculation includes adding up your:

• Regular pay
• Salary
• Commission
• Paid vacation days
• Paid sick days

Workers in B.C. can’t factor in overtime pay when determining their total wages during the 30 calendar days before the statutory holiday.

Example

Five days a week, Peter works an eight-hour shift and is paid $16 an hour. In the 30 calendar days leading up to Thanksgiving, he worked 22 days and his total wages ended up being $2,816.

Peter’s employer informs him that he won’t have to work on the statutory holiday.

To determine how much regular stat pay he should receive, Peter takes the total amount of wages that he earned in the 30 calendar days prior to the holiday and divides it by 22.

• $2,816 (total wages) ÷ 22 (days worked before Thanksgiving) = $128.

Therefore, Peter should receive approximately $128 in regular stat pay if he doesn’t have to work on Thanksgiving.

What is premium pay in British Columbia?

If a non-unionized employee in B.C. qualifies for statutory holiday pay, and is required by their company to work on the statutory holiday, then they are eligible for premium pay.

In addition to your regular stat holiday pay, you must be paid:

• Time-and-a-half if you work up to 12 hours on the statutory holiday
• Double for every hour worked after completing a 12-hour shift on the statutory holiday

Calculating premium pay in B.C.

In British Columbia, the amount of premium pay you should receive on a statutory holiday depends on how many hours your employer needs you to work.

Working a 12-hour shift or less

If your employer needs you to work 12 hours or less on a statutory holiday, and you qualify for regular stat pay, you are entitled to time-and-a-half for every hour worked.

To determine how much premium pay you are owed for a 12-hour shift or less, you need to:

1. Multiply your hourly wage by 1.5
2. Multiply the amount from Step One by the number of hours worked on the statutory holiday

Working more than a 12-hour shift

If your employer needs you to work more than 12 hours on a statutory holiday, and you qualify for regular stat pay, you must be paid:

• Time-and-a-half for the 12-hour shift on the statutory holiday
• Double your hourly wage for every hour worked after the 12-hour shift

To determine how much premium pay you are owed after working at least 12 hours, you need to:

1. Multiply your hourly wage by two
2. Multiply the amount from Step One by the number of additional hours worked after the 12-hour shift

Example

Five days a week, Andrea works an eight-hour shift and is paid $20 an hour. In the 30 calendar days leading up to Remembrance Day, she worked 23 days and her total wages ended up being $4,618.

As a result, Andrea is eligible for both regular stat pay and premium pay if her employer needs her to work the statutory holiday.

First, she wants to determine how much regular stat pay she should receive. Andrea takes the total amount of wages that she earned in the 30 calendar days prior to the holiday and divides it by 23.

• $4,618 (total wages) ÷ 23 (days worked before Remembrance Day) = $200.78

Therefore, Andrea should receive approximately $200.78 in regular stat pay if she doesn’t have to work on Remembrance Day.

What if Andrea’s employer needs her to work a seven-hour shift on Remembrance Day?

If Andrea’s employer needs her to work a seven-hour shift on the statutory holiday, her company has to provide her with:

• Her regular stat pay ($200.78)
• Time-and-a-half for the hours worked on Remembrance day ($20 x 1.5 x 7 = $210)

What if Andrea’s employer needs her to work a 14-hour shift on Remembrance Day?

If Andrea’s employer needs her to work a 14-hour shift on the statutory holiday, her company has to provide her with:

• Her regular stat pay ($200.78)
• Time-and-a-half for the 12 hours worked on Remembrance Day ($20 x 1.5 x 12 = $360)
• Double her regular pay for the two additional hours after her 12-hour shift ($20 x 2 x 2 = $80)

What is a substitute holiday?

If a statutory holiday falls on an unfavourable day, employers in British Columbia might allow staff to take another day off instead.

• Example: Canada Day falls on a Tuesday. To get a long weekend, Melissa asks her employer if she can take off Monday, June 30 instead. The company agrees and Melissa receives regular stat pay on June 30. She returns to work on July 1 and is paid her regular wage.

If the statutory holiday substitution will affect more than one employee, over 50 per cent of the company’s workforce must agree to the change.

Need to Know the Specific Public Holiday Dates in B.C.?

Now that you’re familiar with the rules for statutory holiday pay in British Columbia, you might be interested in the exact dates for these holidays. Check out our comprehensive list for 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.

Do I Get Stat Holiday Pay if I’m Dismissed?

Yes. Employers in B.C. are legally obligated to provide non-unionized workers with their stat holiday pay if they are fired or let go.

• Example: Jane worked on Thanksgiving and her employer said she could take a substitute holiday on December 10th. However, the company decides to let Jane go before she is able to use her substitute holiday. Her employer must provide her with her public holiday pay in addition to her severance entitlements.

Terminations and Stat Holidays

If you’ve been fired without cause or for cause before or after taking a public holiday it’s crucial to understand your rights through a consultation with a B.C. employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP immediately.

Do not accept any severance offer, termination papers, or exit agreement from your employer, even if they come with a deadline. These deadlines are pressure tactics used to push you into accepting inadequate compensation. Once you sign and return these documents, you forfeit your ability to negotiate a fair and proper severance package. A full severance package can be as much as 24 months’ pay.

Talk To an Employment Lawyer

The knowledgeable employment law team at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP has helped tens of thousands of non-unionized individuals across the country.

In addition to severance package negotiations, we have experience securing solutions for the following employment matters:

Our lawyers in B.C., Alberta, and Ontario stand ready to help you solve your workplace issues.

If you are a non-unionized employee who needs help with an employment issue, contact us or call 1-855-821-5900 to get the advice you need, and the compensation you deserve.