Updated July 2026. British Columbia has 11 statutory holidays, and the rules for who gets paid — and how much — are set by the province’s Employment Standards Act. The system trips up a lot of workers and small employers because eligibility depends on your work pattern in the 30 days before each holiday, not on whether you’re full-time or part-time. Here’s how it actually works, with the calculations.
BC’s 11 Statutory Holidays
- New Year’s Day — January 1
- Family Day — third Monday in February
- Good Friday — March/April (varies)
- Victoria Day — Monday before May 25
- Canada Day — July 1
- B.C. Day — first Monday in August
- Labour Day — first Monday in September
- National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — September 30
- Thanksgiving Day — second Monday in October
- Remembrance Day — November 11
- Christmas Day — December 25
Two common surprises: Easter Monday and Boxing Day are not statutory holidays in BC (many employers give them anyway, but it’s not required), and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a full stat in BC — it became one provincially in 2023, unlike in some other provinces where it only covers federally regulated workers.
Do You Qualify for Stat Holiday Pay?
You qualify if both of these are true:
- You’ve been employed for at least 30 calendar days before the holiday, and
- You worked or earned wages on at least 15 of the 30 days before the holiday. Paid vacation days and other paid statutory holidays count as days you “earned wages.”
Notice what’s not in the test: full-time status. A part-timer who works four days a week easily clears 15 days in 30. Conversely, a casual worker who picked up only six shifts in the past month doesn’t qualify — even if they’ve been with the company for years.
Some groups are excluded from the stat holiday provisions entirely, including managers and certain regulated occupations (farm workers paid by piece rate, fishers, and a few others listed in the Employment Standards Regulation).
How Much Is Stat Holiday Pay? (The “Average Day’s Pay” Formula)
If you qualify and you get the day off, you’re owed an average day’s pay:
Average day’s pay = total wages earned in the 30 calendar days before the holiday ÷ number of days worked in that period
“Total wages” includes regular wages, commissions, and stat pay from an earlier holiday in the window, but excludes overtime pay.
Example: In the 30 days before Canada Day, Maria earned $3,200 over 18 days worked. Her average day’s pay is $3,200 ÷ 18 = $177.78. That’s what her employer owes her for July 1, even though she stayed home.
This formula is why stat pay varies from holiday to holiday for the same worker — it always reflects the previous 30 days.
What If You Work on the Holiday?
If you qualify for stat pay and you work on the holiday, you get both premium pay and the average day’s pay:
- Time-and-a-half (1.5×) your regular wage for the first 12 hours worked
- Double time (2×) for any hours beyond 12
- Plus your average day’s pay on top
Example: Sam earns $20/hour and works an 8-hour shift on B.C. Day. His average day’s pay works out to $160. He’s owed: (8 × $20 × 1.5) + $160 = $240 + $160 = $400 for that day.
If you don’t qualify (didn’t meet the 30-day/15-day test) and you work the holiday, it’s treated as a regular workday — straight pay, no premium.
Common Misunderstandings
- “Part-timers don’t get stat pay.” False — the test is days worked, not employment status.
- “If the stat falls on my day off, I get nothing.” False — if you qualify, you’re owed an average day’s pay even when the holiday lands on a day you weren’t scheduled.
- “My employer can swap the stat for another day off without paying.” An employer and employee can agree to substitute another day off, but the substitute day carries the same stat-pay entitlements.
- “Overtime counts toward my average day’s pay.” No — overtime wages are excluded from the calculation.
- “Easter Monday is a stat in BC.” It isn’t. Neither is Boxing Day. Only the 11 days listed above.
For Employers: Getting It Right
- Run the 30-day/15-day eligibility check per employee, per holiday — eligibility changes as schedules change.
- Track the 30-day wage window in your payroll system; most Canadian payroll software (Wagepoint, Payworks, QuickBooks Payroll) calculates BC stat pay automatically if configured for BC rules.
- Remember stat pay applies to workers paid hourly, by salary, by commission, or by piece rate — the average day’s pay formula covers all of them.
- Misclassifying staff as “managers” to avoid stat pay is a common source of Employment Standards Branch complaints — the title doesn’t matter, the actual duties do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30) paid in BC?
Yes. It’s a full statutory holiday in British Columbia for provincially regulated employees — the standard eligibility and pay rules apply.
I started my job three weeks ago. Do I get stat pay?
Not yet — you need 30 calendar days of employment before the holiday. You’d be paid regular wages if you work it.
What happens when a stat falls on a weekend?
The Employment Standards Act doesn’t automatically move the day, but many employers observe the following Monday. Either way, qualifying employees are owed the average day’s pay for the statutory holiday itself, and premium pay applies to whoever works it.
Where do I complain if I wasn’t paid correctly?
The BC Employment Standards Branch handles complaints — there’s no fee, and claims can go back 12 months.
Related Guides
- Jobs in Canada for newcomers: how to find work and get hired
- Salaries in Canada: what to expect by occupation and city
- Taxes in Canada for newcomers
This article summarizes BC Employment Standards Act rules for general information. Collective agreements and federally regulated workplaces follow different rules. Verify details with the official BC government pages linked above.
