Stat holiday pay in BC isn't just a normal day's wage.
Two things trip people up: not everyone qualifies, and the pay isn't a flat 8 hours. Instead it's an average day's pay worked out from a set formula, and you get extra on top if you actually work the holiday. Here's how it works in plain numbers.
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In 30 seconds, here's what's true
- BC has 11 statutory holidays: New Year's Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, B.C. Day, Labour Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Sept 30), Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day, and Christmas Day. Easter Monday and Boxing Day are NOT stat holidays in BC.
- To qualify for stat holiday pay you need two things: you've been employed at least 30 calendar days, and you worked or earned wages on at least 15 of the 30 days before the holiday.
- If you qualify and don't work the holiday, you get an average day's pay, which is your wages for the 30 days before split over the days you worked or earned wages, and it is not automatically 8 hours.
- If you qualify and DO work the holiday, you get more: 1.5 times your wage for the first 12 hours, 2 times after 12 hours, AND an average day's pay on top.
- Not every worker is covered. Managers, farm workers, and some others don't get statutory holiday pay under BC's rules. Job duties, not just your title, decide if you count as a manager.
How the process works
Check the day is actually a BC stat holiday
BC has 11 statutory holidays under its employment law. Some days people assume are stat holidays, like Easter Monday and Boxing Day, are not on the list in BC. National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30 was added and does count.
Check if you qualify
You need to have been employed for at least 30 calendar days before the holiday. On top of that, you must have worked or earned wages on at least 15 of the 30 days right before it. Paid vacation days and other paid stat holidays in that window count as days you earned wages.
Work out your average day's pay
Add up your total wages for the 30 calendar days before the holiday, but leave out any overtime pay. Then divide that by the number of days you worked or earned wages in those 30 days. Paid vacation days, paid sick days required by the Act, and other paid stat holidays in that window count in the divisor. The result is your average day's pay, which is what stat holiday pay is based on.
If you worked the holiday, add the extra
Working the holiday pays more. You get 1.5 times your regular wage for the first 12 hours, and 2 times your wage for any time past 12 hours. That premium comes on top of an average day's pay, not instead of it.
Fix it if your pay is wrong
Check your pay stub around each holiday. If the holiday pay is missing or looks too low, raise it with your employer in writing first. If that doesn't work, you can file a complaint with BC's Employment Standards Branch for free. People's Law School and Clicklaw have free plain-language guides too.
What to do next
- Confirm the day is one of BC's 11 statutory holidays.
- Check you were employed for at least 30 calendar days before the holiday.
- Count the days you worked or earned wages in those 30 days. You need at least 15.
- Add up your wages for the 30 days before the holiday, leaving out overtime pay.
- Divide that total by the number of days you worked or earned wages to get your average day's pay.
- If you worked the holiday, add 1.5x pay for the first 12 hours and 2x after that, on top of the average day's pay.
- Check your pay stub to see whether the holiday pay is really there.
- If it's missing or wrong, keep your records and file a free complaint with the Employment Standards Branch.
Common myths
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| Stat holiday pay is just 8 hours of my normal wage. | Not in BC. It's an average day's pay: your wages for the 30 days before, split over the days you worked. Depending on your hours, that can be more or less than 8 hours. |
| Everybody gets statutory holiday pay. | No. You have to have been employed 30 days and worked or earned wages on 15 of the 30 days before. And some jobs, like managers and farm workers, are left out entirely. |
| My overtime hours count toward the average. | No. Overtime pay is left out when you add up wages for the average day's pay. Only your regular wages and things like vacation pay count. |
| If I work the holiday, I just get my normal pay. | You get more. It's 1.5 times your wage for the first 12 hours, 2 times after that, plus an average day's pay on top. |
| Boxing Day and Easter Monday are stat holidays in BC. | They're not. Under BC's employment law, Boxing Day and Easter Monday are not statutory holidays, even though some workplaces choose to give them off. |
| Part-time and casual workers never qualify. | They can. Qualifying is about the 30-day and 15-of-30-days rules, not about being full-time. A regular part-timer often meets them. |
| My boss can just pay me a flat amount instead of following the rules. | No. An employer can choose to pay more, but never less than what BC's employment law says you're owed for a statutory holiday. |
| If my holiday pay is missing, there's nothing I can do. | There is. You can file a complaint with BC's Employment Standards Branch for free, and there's no charge to have them look into unpaid wages. |
Last reviewed July 2026
Written and reviewed by the founder of PLAIN, checked against primary government and legal sources. How we research these guides
Sources
- Employment Standards — Statutory holidays (Province of BC)
- Employment Standards — Qualify for statutory holiday pay (Province of BC)
- Employment Standards Act, Part 5, Section 45 — Statutory Holiday Pay (Province of BC)
- Employment Standards Act, Part 5, Section 46 — Working on a statutory holiday (Province of BC)
PLAIN gives legal information, not legal advice. It is not a substitute for a lawyer or paralegal — and we'll point you to free ones. Laws change; we review these pages regularly, but always confirm current rules with the Employment Standards Branch or a licensed professional.
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