British Columbia has 11 statutory holidays in 2026. Employees covered by B.C.’s Employment Standards Act generally qualify for statutory holiday pay if they have been employed for at least 30 calendar days and either worked or earned wages on at least 15 of the previous 30 days, or worked under an averaging agreement during that period.
For employees who qualify, statutory holiday pay is generally based on an average day’s pay calculated from eligible earnings in the 30 days before the holiday. Employees who work on the holiday receive that average day’s pay plus premium wages: 1.5 times their regular wage for up to 12 hours worked and double time for hours beyond 12. Different rules apply to managers, federally regulated workplaces, and employees covered by a collective agreement.
As part of our Statutory Holidays in Canada series, this guide explains which employees qualify in British Columbia and what they receive when they take the holiday off or work that day.
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Which Statutory Holidays Are Recognized in B.C. in 2026?
B.C. has 11 statutory holidays in total: 5 are also widely observed across Canada, while 6 are additional holidays recognized under B.C.’s statutory holiday rules. The table below outlines these holidays, set out in the Employment Standards Act, from New Year’s Day to Christmas Day; eligible employees are entitled to statutory holiday pay for them.
| Holiday | 2026 Date | 2027 Date |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thursday, January 1 | Friday, January 1 |
| Family Day | Monday, February 16 | Monday, February 15 |
| Good Friday | Friday, April 3 | Friday, March 26 |
| Victoria Day | Monday, May 18 | Monday, May 24 |
| Canada Day | Wednesday, July 1 | Thursday, July 1 |
| British Columbia Day | Monday, August 3 | Monday, August 2 |
| Labour Day | Monday, September 7 | Monday, September 6 |
| National Day for Truth and Reconciliation | Wednesday, September 30 | Thursday, September 30 |
| Thanksgiving Day | Monday, October 12 | Monday, October 11 |
| Remembrance Day | Wednesday, November 11 | Thursday, November 11 |
| Christmas Day | Friday, December 25 | Saturday, December 25 |
In addition to the 11 statutory holidays above, some B.C. employers may provide extra paid days off for optional holidays such as Easter Monday (the day after Easter Sunday) and Boxing Day (December 26). Unlike statutory holidays, these days are not legally required under British Columbia’s Employment Standards Act. Whether employees receive paid or unpaid time off depends on the employer’s workplace policy, employment contract, or collective agreement.
Who Qualifies for Statutory Holiday Pay in B.C.?
You qualify for statutory holiday pay in B.C. if you pass two tests: 30 calendar days with your employer, and work or paid days on 15 of the 30 days before the holiday. Count your own days to see where you stand, then check whether your job is excluded from the standard rules.
Have You Been Employed for 30 Days?
Gate one is how long you have been with your employer. You need at least 30 calendar days of employment before the holiday. The count uses calendar days, so weekends and days off count toward the 30. If you are unsure of your exact start date, ask payroll to confirm it.
Full-time, part-time, casual and on-call employees all use the same test. Your job title or type of schedule doesn’t change it.
Source: Government of B.C., Interpretive Guide, ESA s. 44
Have You Worked or Been Paid on 15 of the Last 30 Days?
You must have worked or earned wages on at least 15 of the 30 calendar days before the holiday, and the days do not need to be in a row.
The window: It is the 30 calendar days immediately before the holiday, and it moves with each holiday.
The 15-day bar: If you work three days a week, you get about 13 work days in the 30-day window, which falls short. Four days a week gives you about 17 days, which passes.
Five types of days come up in the 30-day window: shifts you worked, paid vacation days, other paid statutory holidays, paid sick days required by the Act, and unpaid days off, including unpaid leave. The table shows how each type of day is treated.
| Type of day | Counts toward the 15? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Shift you worked | Yes | You worked that day |
| Paid vacation day | Yes | The province names it as earned wages |
| Another paid statutory holiday | Yes | The province names it as earned wages |
| Paid sick day required by the Act | Yes | You earned wages that day; the province counts it as a wage day |
| Day off with no pay, including unpaid leave | No | You neither worked nor earned wages |
No day-before, day-after test: Working the days on either side of the holiday is not the test in B.C.
Who Is Excluded From the Standard Rules?
Some workers follow a different rule. Federally regulated employees fall outside B.C.’s Act. Managers and a short list of jobs are excluded. A collective agreement can replace the Act’s rules, and an averaging agreement changes the 15-day test. Here is how each group is treated:
- Federally regulated employees: B.C. employment standards do not cover federally regulated workplaces, so federal rules apply instead.
- Managers and excluded jobs: Managers are excluded from the statutory holiday rules. Some other jobs, such as certain farm, fishing, high-technology and commission-based roles, are excluded or follow modified rules. Check the Employment Standards Regulation for your specific job and pay arrangement.
- Collective agreements: If your collective agreement covers statutory holidays, those terms are judged as a whole against the Act, not clause by clause. If it doesn’t, the Act’s holiday rules apply. Disputes go through the grievance process.
- Averaging agreements: If you worked under a written averaging agreement at any time in the 30-day window, you qualify without 15 worked or paid days. You still need 30 calendar days of employment.
Source: Government of B.C., Employment Standards Regulation; collective agreement guidance; Interpretive Guide, ESA s. 44
How to Calculate Your Average Day’s Pay in B.C.
Statutory holiday pay in B.C. is based on the employee’s average day’s pay over the 30 calendar days before the holiday. The formula is:
Total Wages Earned in the 30 Days Before the Holiday / Number of Days Worked or Wages Earned During That Period
= Average Day's Pay
Step 1: Add up eligible wages from the 30 days before the holiday
The first step is to determine which earnings from the previous 30 calendar days count toward average day’s pay. Regular earnings and certain paid days are included, while overtime and gratuities are left out.
Include:
- Regular wages and salary
- Commissions
- Statutory holiday pay
- Vacation pay for vacation days taken during the period
- Paid sick days required by employment standards
Exclude:
- Overtime pay
- Gratuities and tips
Step 2: Count the days you worked or earned wages
A day counts if you worked or were paid for it. A paid vacation day, another paid statutory holiday and a paid sick day required by the Act each count as one day, even though you did not work.
Step 3: Divide total eligible wages by that day count
The rest of this guide uses one example: an employee who earns $24 an hour and worked 16 eight-hour shifts in the 30 days before the holiday, with no overtime. Here is how their average day’s pay works out:
- Wages: 16 × 8 hours × $24 = $3,072
- Days: 16
- Average day’s pay: $3,072 ÷ 16 = $192
If this employee takes the holiday off, they are owed $192. The Act sets this as a minimum, so an employer can pay more but not less.
Source: Government of B.C., Calculate statutory holiday pay and Interpretive Guide, ESA s. 45
How Do Changing Shifts or Multiple Jobs Affect Your Holiday Pay?
Two people with the same hours can have different holiday pay, because the formula divides by days, not hours. Three situations matter most: your hours changing inside the window, different shift lengths for the same total hours, and more than one employer or split shifts.
Your hours change inside the window: An extra shift that pays more than your current average pulls the average up. A shorter shift pulls it down. Take an employee with $3,072 in wages over 16 days. A 4-hour shift worth $96 makes it $3,168 over 17 days, or $186.35. An extra 8-hour shift leaves the average at $192.
Different shifts, same total hours: The table below shows two workers who each earn $20 an hour for 96 hours in the window. Both qualify, yet their holiday pay differs by $40.
| Worker | Hours | Days worked | Wages | Average day’s pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Works longer shifts | 96 | 16 | $1,920 | $120 |
| Works shorter shifts | 96 | 24 | $1,920 | $80 |
More than one employer or split shifts: The qualification test is written around your employment with one employer, so treat each job as its own calculation. A day with two shifts at the same job is still one day, so add both shifts’ wages to that day. If the number looks off, ask payroll how it counts split shifts.
How Much Do You Get Paid on a Statutory Holiday in B.C.?
Your pay depends on whether you qualify and whether you work. If you qualify, a day off pays an average day’s pay, even on a regular day off, during vacation or on a substituted day. Working adds premium wages. If you don’t qualify, you earn only your regular wage for hours worked.
If You Qualify and Take the Day Off
If you qualify and do not work, you are paid an average day’s pay. The same amount applies when the holiday falls on your regular day off, when you and your employer agree to swap in another day, and when the holiday lands in your vacation.
If the holiday falls on your regular day off: You are still paid an average day’s pay. Your employer does not have to give you another day off.
If it falls during vacation: If a statutory holiday falls during your vacation and you qualify, it should be treated separately from your vacation entitlement. Your vacation time or vacation pay should not be reduced because of the holiday, and you are also entitled to an average day’s pay.
If another day is substituted: The employer and the affected employee may agree to substitute another day. If more than one employee is affected, a majority of those employees must agree. The employer must document the agreement or decision-making process and retain the record for four years. The substituted day is then treated as the statutory holiday.
Source: Government of B.C., ESA s. 48 and Interpretive Guide
If You Qualify and Work the Holiday
If you qualify and work the holiday, you are paid premium wages for the hours you work, plus your average day’s pay. The premium rate depends on whether you work up to 12 hours or more.
Up to 12 hours: Each hour is paid at 1.5 times your regular wage.
More than 12 hours: Hours past 12 are paid at double your regular wage.
Example: Take the employee who earns $24 an hour, with an average day’s pay of $192. This table shows what they are paid in each case:
| What the employee does | Calculation | Total pay |
|---|---|---|
| Takes the day off | Average day’s pay | $192 |
| Works 7 hours | (7 × $36) + $192 | $444 |
| Works 14 hours | (12 × $36) + (2 × $48) + $192 | $720 |
Night shifts: A shift that starts on the holiday and runs past midnight is paid as holiday work for the whole shift. A shift that starts the day before and runs into the holiday gets no holiday rate for those hours, though you are still owed an average day’s pay.
Source: Government of B.C., Interpretive Guide, ESA s. 46
If You Do Not Qualify
If you fail either test, you get no statutory holiday pay and no premium. You are paid your regular wage for any hours you work, and nothing for the day if you do not work.
If you do not work the holiday: You get no holiday pay.
If you still work the holiday: You are paid your regular wage for the hours worked. You do not get time and a half or an average day’s pay.
Example: Here is what the same $24-an-hour employee is paid if they qualify and if they miss the 15-day test:
| Situation | Qualifies | Does not qualify |
|---|---|---|
| Takes the day off | $192 | $0 |
| Works 7 hours | $444 | $168 (7 × $24) |
How Does a Stat Holiday Change Your Pay for the Pay Period?
A qualifying holiday either adds a line to your pay for the period or leaves your usual pay unchanged. Hourly and variable-schedule employees see holiday pay as a separate amount. Salaried employees usually see their regular pay, but should still check how the holiday was handled.
Hourly or Variable-Schedule Employees
If you are paid by the hour or work a changing schedule, your holiday pay shows up as its own amount in the period where the holiday falls. It stands in for the wages you would have earned on that day. If you work the holiday, you get the shift wages, the premium and your average day’s pay.
Say an employee on the same $24 wage normally works six 8-hour shifts in a pay period, and the holiday takes one of them. This table compares the period total in three cases:
| Case | Regular shifts | Holiday amount | Period total |
|---|---|---|---|
| No holiday in the period | 6 shifts, $1,152 | None | $1,152 |
| Holiday off | 5 shifts, $960 | $192 | $1,152 |
| Works 7 hours on the holiday | 5 shifts, $960 | $444 | $1,404 |
The first two totals match because the average day’s pay equals the usual shift. If your usual shift is longer or shorter than your average, the totals will differ.
Salaried Employees
A salary does not, on its own, take away your right to holiday pay if you are covered by the Act and qualify. What changes is how the holiday shows up on your paycheque.
Here is what to expect in each case:
- If you take the day off: For a fixed-salary employee, an unchanged paycheque may satisfy all or part of the average day’s pay requirement. Payroll should still verify the statutory calculation, particularly if you also earn commissions or other eligible wages.
- If you work the holiday: Your salary usually covers the average day’s pay. On top of it, you should see time and a half for the hours you worked. Ask payroll how they turn your salary into an hourly rate.
If you are a manager, these rules do not apply. Managers are excluded from the statutory holiday rules, so your pay may not change at all.
Whatever your pay type, holiday pay is a minimum set by the Employment Standards Act, not an optional benefit. Your employer still needs to handle it correctly through payroll, scheduling and paid leave. See our guide to employee benefits in Canada for the difference between legal employment entitlements and benefits an employer chooses to provide.
What Should You Review Before the Holiday?
If the holiday is a few weeks away, you can check whether you are likely to reach 15 days and identify any gaps. Your employer still controls the schedule, but knowing your numbers helps you ask the right questions about your eligibility and pay.
How Many More Days Do You Need to Qualify?
Count the days you have already worked or been paid in the window and subtract that total from 15. The result is how many more days you need before the holiday.
For example, say 20 days of your window have passed, and you worked or were paid on 9 of them. You need 6 more from the 10 days still ahead.
These days can close the gap:
- Any scheduled shift: A shift of any length counts as one day, so a 4-hour shift helps as much as an 8-hour shift.
- Paid vacation days: If a paid vacation day is approved and falls inside the 30-day window, it can count as a day on which you earned wages.
- An earlier paid statutory holiday: If you were paid for a holiday that falls inside the window, it already counts. Remembrance Day’s window runs from October 12 to November 10, so a paid Thanksgiving on October 12 leaves you needing only 14 more days.
Unpaid leave does not help, because those days add nothing to your count. If you are planning time away, see our guide to leaves of absence in British Columbia to find out which leaves are paid and which are unpaid.
What Should You Ask Payroll Before the Holiday?
Asking payroll a few specific questions before the holiday helps you catch problems early, instead of after your paycheque arrives. Bring these questions to your supervisor or payroll a week or two before the holiday:
- Which days will you count in my 30-day window for this holiday?
- Do my paid vacation days and other paid holidays in the window count as days?
- How many shifts am I scheduled for before the holiday, and does that get me to 15?
- What is my average day’s pay as you calculate it, and which wages did you include?
- Does an averaging agreement or a substituted day apply to this holiday?
FAQs About Statutory Holidays in British Columbia
Can Your Employer Require You to Work on a Statutory Holiday?
Yes. Your employer can schedule you to work on a statutory holiday. If you qualify for statutory holiday pay, you receive premium wages for the hours you work plus an average day’s pay.
What If You Work Only Part of the Holiday?
If you qualify, premium wages apply to the hours you actually work, even if you work only part of the holiday. You also receive your average day’s pay. For example, a 3-hour shift at $24 an hour is paid at $36 an hour, for $108 in wages for the hours worked, plus a $192 average day’s pay.
Does Statutory Holiday Pay Count Toward Vacation Pay?
Yes. Statutory holiday pay is included in the total wages used to calculate vacation pay in B.C. The minimum vacation pay rate is 4% of total wages, increasing to 6% after five consecutive years of employment.
Is Statutory Holiday Pay Taxable?
Yes. Statutory holiday pay is employment income, so it is subject to income tax withholding, CPP contributions and EI premiums. The Canada Revenue Agency says these deductions are calculated the same way as for regular salary.
What Happens When a B.C. Statutory Holiday Falls on a Weekend?
A statutory holiday is not automatically moved to Monday just because it falls on a weekend. If it falls on your regular day off and you qualify, you are still entitled to an average day’s pay, but your employer does not normally have to give you another day off. A different day may be substituted by agreement. Canada Day is an exception: when July 1 falls on a Sunday, July 2 is observed as Canada Day.
What Can You Do If Your Holiday Pay Is Wrong?
Start by asking payroll which days and wages they used. If that does not fix it, use the province’s Solution Explorer or contact Employment Standards, then file a complaint if needed. There is no fee, and your employer cannot punish you for filing. If you have left the job, file within six months of your last day of work.
Knowing how B.C. decides who qualifies and how holiday pay is calculated helps you plan your schedule and get the statutory holiday pay you are entitled to.
For a comparative analysis of eligibility requirements, compensation structures, or holiday substitution policies across Canadian jurisdictions, refer to the province-specific guides below:
