Can Employers in British Columbia Cut a Worker’s Hours?

Can your employer cut your hours in BC? Sometimes, but a significant reduction in your working hours or income may be illegal if you haven’t agreed to it.

Employers in British Columbia can make minor scheduling changes in many circumstances. However, substantially cutting your hours without your agreement could amount to constructive dismissal in BC, meaning you may be entitled to severance pay in BC even if your employer hasn’t officially fired you.

Reviewed by: Lior Samfiru, Employment Lawyer and National Co-Managing Partner

On This Page

• Can Your Employer Reduce Your Hours?
• Full-Time Employees
• Cutting Hours Without Notice
• Employment Contracts
• Constructive Dismissal and Severance
• What Should You Do?
• Hours Cut as Punishment
• Can You Be Fired for Refusing?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Get Legal Help

Can Your Employer Legally Reduce Your Hours in BC?

Your employer may be allowed to adjust your schedule, but it can’t automatically make major changes to your working hours without your agreement.

Whether a reduction is permitted depends on your employment contract, regular work schedule and the size of the change.

For example:

• Minor changes: Small adjustments to your schedule may be allowed.
• Major reductions: Cutting your hours from 40 to 25 per week could be a significant change to your employment.
• Reduced income: Losing a substantial portion of your regular earnings may give you grounds to claim constructive dismissal.

There is no automatic percentage reduction that always qualifies as constructive dismissal. The circumstances matter.

Can Your Employer Cut Your Hours if You’re Full-Time in BC?

Being a full-time employee doesn’t mean your employer can freely reduce your hours.

If you regularly work 40 hours per week and your employer suddenly reduces that to 20, the change could amount to constructive dismissal.

Part-time employees can also have rights if their employer substantially reduces established working hours.

What matters is whether the reduction significantly changes the terms of your employment and whether your employer has the legal right to make that change.

Can Your Employer Cut Your Hours Without Notice in BC?

Not every schedule change requires advance notice, but a significant reduction in hours or pay can create legal problems for your employer.

If your employer substantially changes your hours without your agreement, the change may amount to constructive dismissal.

Providing advance notice can affect the legal analysis, but notice alone doesn’t automatically make every reduction lawful.

If your shifts have been reduced suddenly, keep copies of your previous schedules, new schedules and pay statements.

What if Your Employment Contract Allows Changes to Your Hours?

Some employment agreements give employers flexibility to change working hours or schedules.

If you’ve agreed to a valid clause allowing those changes, your employer may have more flexibility. However, the clause’s wording and the circumstances still matter.

Your employer also can’t use a contract to take away minimum rights protected by BC employment law.

If you’re being asked to sign a new agreement that allows your hours to be reduced, don’t sign before understanding how it could affect your income and severance rights.

Learn more about employment agreements in BC.

Can Reduced Hours Be Constructive Dismissal in BC?

Yes. A substantial reduction in your hours or income could be constructive dismissal, even if your employer never officially fires you.

Constructive dismissal happens when an employer makes a fundamental change to your job without your agreement, effectively ending the original employment relationship.

If you have been constructively dismissed, you may be entitled to severance pay.

For non-unionized employees, full severance depends on factors including age, position, length of service and the availability of comparable work. In appropriate cases, compensation can reach up to 24 months’ pay.

For more information, read our guides to constructive dismissal in BC and how much severance pay you’re owed in BC.

What Should You Do if Your Employer Cuts Your Hours?

1. Don’t resign immediately. Leaving without legal advice could make it harder to recover severance.
2. Object in writing. If you don’t agree with the change, tell your employer promptly by email or letter.
3. Keep your records. Save your employment contract, previous schedules, new schedules and pay statements.
4. Don’t sign a new agreement. A revised contract could limit your rights.
5. Speak with an employment lawyer. Find out whether the reduction amounts to constructive dismissal and what compensation you may be owed.

Don’t ignore the change for too long. Continuing to work without objecting may allow your employer to argue that you accepted the new terms.

Can Your Employer Cut Your Hours as Punishment?

Your employer can’t automatically use a reduction in hours to punish you for exercising your legal rights.

For example, reducing your shifts because you raised a protected workplace complaint may amount to unlawful retaliation.

Even where a reduction isn’t unlawful retaliation, a substantial cut in hours or income may still amount to constructive dismissal.

If your hours were reduced after you complained about workplace treatment or refused a major contract change, keep records of what happened and get legal advice.

Can Your Employer Fire You for Refusing Reduced Hours?

An employer can sometimes terminate a non-unionized employee who refuses a proposed change, but that doesn’t automatically mean the employee loses their severance rights.

In BC, employers can usually dismiss employees without cause if they provide the required notice or compensation and don’t violate other laws.

However, simply disagreeing with a major reduction in working hours doesn’t automatically give your employer just cause to fire you without severance.

If you’ve been fired after refusing reduced hours, your employer may owe you a severance package.

See our guide to termination without cause in BC.

Employer Cutting Hours in BC: Frequently Asked Questions

Can my employer reduce my hours without my permission?

Minor scheduling changes may be permitted. A substantial reduction in established hours or income without your agreement could amount to constructive dismissal.

Can my employer cut my hours from full-time to part-time?

A major reduction from full-time to part-time hours could be constructive dismissal if your employer doesn’t have the legal right to make that change.

Can my boss cut my hours without notice?

Some scheduling changes can be made without advance notice. However, a significant reduction in hours may violate your employment agreement or amount to constructive dismissal.

Can I quit if my employer cuts my hours and still get severance?

Possibly. If the reduction amounts to constructive dismissal, you may be entitled to severance. Don’t resign before speaking with an employment lawyer.

Can my employer cut my hours because business is slow?

A slowdown doesn’t automatically give your employer the right to substantially reduce your agreed working hours. Your contract and circumstances determine your rights.

Can my employer cut my hours and give them to someone else?

An employer may change staffing schedules, but a substantial reduction in your regular hours could still amount to constructive dismissal. If the decision is discriminatory or retaliatory, additional legal protections may apply.

Employer Cut Your Hours in BC? Find Out Your Rights.

If your employer has significantly reduced your hours, income or shifts, don’t assume you have to accept the change.

The employment lawyers at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP help non-unionized employees across British Columbia challenge major workplace changes, pursue constructive dismissal claims and recover severance pay.

Our team can review your employment agreement, assess the reduction in your hours and determine whether you’re entitled to compensation.

Before you sign, always check first.

➡️ Get a Consultation or call 1-855-821-5900.