British Columbia recognises 11 statutory holidays in 2026, and employers must pay an average day's pay to eligible employees plus premium rates of 1.5x for the first 12 hours worked and 2x after that. Eligibility requires the employee to have been employed for at least 30 calendar days before the holiday and to have worked or earned wages on 15 of those 30 days.

• BC has 11 statutory holidays in 2026, including National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
• Stat pay equals total wages in the previous 30 days (excluding overtime) divided by the number of days worked
• Employees who work a statutory holiday receive their average day's pay plus 1.5x for the first 12 hours, then 2x after

British Columbia has 11 statutory holidays in 2026, set under the Employment Standards Act. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was added as a BC statutory holiday in March 2023. Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, and Boxing Day are not statutory holidays in BC.

An employee qualifies for statutory holiday pay in BC if they have been employed for at least 30 calendar days before the holiday and have worked or earned wages on at least 15 of those 30 days, under section 44 of the Employment Standards Act. Both conditions must be met. Earned wages includes paid vacation days, paid sick days required by the ESA, and other paid statutory holidays, not just shifts worked.

Managers, as defined in the Employment Standards Regulation, are excluded from Part 5 of the Act entirely.

Statutory holiday pay in BC is calculated as the total wages earned in the 30 calendar days before the holiday (excluding overtime), divided by the number of days worked in that period. "Amount paid" includes regular wages, salary, commissions, statutory holiday pay, paid vacation, and paid sick days required by the ESA. Tips and gratuities are not "wages" under the ESA and are not included.

Average day's pay = (Total wages in previous 30 days, excluding overtime) divided by (Number of days worked in that period).

A server at a Vancouver bistro is scheduled for Family Day on February 16, 2026. In the 30 days before the holiday, she worked 18 shifts and earned $3,420.00 in regular wages and vacation pay.

Average day's pay = $3,420.00 divided by 18 days worked = $190.00.

If she works an 8-hour shift at $20.00 per hour: premium pay is 8 x $20.00 x 1.5 = $240.00, plus average day's pay of $190.00, totalling $430.00 for the day.

Employees who work a statutory holiday in BC receive 1.5 times their regular wage for the first 12 hours worked, and 2 times for any time worked after 12 hours, in addition to the average day's pay, under section 46 of the Employment Standards Act.

Example: a care aide working a 14-hour shift on Christmas Day at $22.00 per hour earns 12 hours at 1.5x ($396.00) plus 2 hours at 2x ($88.00) plus average day's pay ($176.00), totalling $660.00.

An employer and employee can agree in writing to substitute another day off for a statutory holiday under section 48 of the Employment Standards Act. The substituted day must be treated as the statutory holiday for all purposes, including average day's pay and premium rates. Employers must retain records for 4 years.

If a statutory holiday falls on a day the employee would not normally work, the employee still receives the average day's pay if they meet the eligibility test. Under section 45(2), the entitlement applies whether or not the holiday falls on the employee's regularly scheduled day off.

A retail employee who only works Wednesdays and Fridays still qualifies for Canada Day pay in 2026 because Canada Day falls on a Wednesday.

If a statutory holiday falls during an employee's annual vacation, section 57 of the Employment Standards Act states the vacation is exclusive of any statutory holidays the employee is entitled to. The vacation time or pay cannot be reduced because of the holiday.

Family Day and BC Day are statutory holidays only for provincially regulated employees in BC. Federally regulated employers, such as banks, telecoms, and airports, follow the Canada Labour Code, which does not recognise Family Day or BC Day. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a statutory holiday under both federal and provincial law, so it applies to both.

The Employment Standards Branch can order back-pay for up to 12 months of unpaid wages prior to a complaint, with interest, and can extend this to 24 months in prescribed circumstances. Administrative penalties start at $500.00 for a first contravention, $2,500.00 for a second within 3 years, and $10,000.00 for a third.

The most common errors in BC payroll audits: including overtime when calculating average day's pay, counting calendar days instead of days worked, failing to pay stat pay to part-time employees who meet the 15-day test, paying only premium rates without the average day's pay on top, and treating the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as optional.