British Columbia recognizes 11 statutory holidays under the Employment Standards Act, and eligible employees are entitled to either a paid day off at an average day’s rate or premium wages plus an average day’s pay if they work. The rules on eligibility, calculation, and exclusions decide who actually collects, so the details are worth reading closely.
The 11 Statutory Holidays
- New Year’s Day — January 1
- Family Day — third Monday in February
- Good Friday — the Friday before Easter Sunday
- Victoria Day — the Monday before May 25
- Canada Day — July 1
- British Columbia 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
Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, and Boxing Day are not statutory holidays in BC.1Province of British Columbia. Statutory Holidays Your employer has no legal obligation to provide time off, holiday pay, or premium wages on any of those three days. Some workplaces observe them through policy or a collective agreement, but the Act’s protections do not apply.
2026 Statutory Holiday Dates
Several holidays float, so the calendar dates shift each year. For 2026:1Province of British Columbia. Statutory Holidays
- New Year’s Day — Thursday, January 1
- Family Day — Monday, February 16
- Good Friday — Friday, April 3
- Victoria Day — Monday, May 18
- Canada Day — Wednesday, July 1
- B.C. Day — Monday, August 3
- Labour Day — Monday, September 7
- National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — Wednesday, September 30
- Thanksgiving Day — Monday, October 12
- Remembrance Day — Wednesday, November 11
- Christmas Day — Friday, December 25
Who Qualifies for Statutory Holiday Pay
You must meet two conditions before a holiday to be entitled to statutory holiday pay:
- You have been employed for at least 30 calendar days before the holiday.
- You have worked or earned wages on at least 15 of the 30 calendar days immediately before the holiday. Paid vacation days, other paid statutory holidays, and paid sick days count toward the 15.2Province of British Columbia. Qualify for Statutory Holiday Pay
Both conditions must be met. Someone who started a job three weeks before a holiday does not qualify, no matter how many shifts they worked in those three weeks. An employee who fails either test and works the holiday is paid at their regular wage for those hours and receives no average day’s pay.2Province of British Columbia. Qualify for Statutory Holiday Pay Casual and newly hired workers are the ones who lose out here, especially around Christmas and New Year’s.
Pay When You Take the Day Off
An eligible employee who does not work on the holiday is paid an average day’s pay. The formula:
Total wages earned in the previous 30 calendar days ÷ number of days worked in that period.
Total wages include regular pay, salary, commissions, other statutory holiday pay, paid vacation, and paid sick days required by employment standards. Overtime pay is excluded.3Province of British Columbia. Calculate Statutory Holiday Pay
If you earned $3,000 over 20 working days in the 30 days before the holiday, your average day’s pay is $150. That amount is paid as a flat figure regardless of how many hours you would normally have worked on that day. The formula tracks your actual recent earnings, which protects employees whose schedules vary.4British Columbia Laws. British Columbia Code – Employment Standards Act
Pay When You Work the Holiday
Under Section 46 of the Act, an eligible employee who works a statutory holiday receives three things:
- Time and a half (1.5 times regular wage) for the first 12 hours worked.
- Double time (twice regular wage) for any hours beyond 12.
- An average day’s pay on top of those premium wages, using the same formula as above.5Province of British Columbia. ESA Part 5, Section 46 – If Employee Is Required to Work on Statutory Holiday
The third piece is the one most often missed. Premium hourly pay and the average day’s pay are separate entitlements, and you receive both.
Take an employee earning $20 per hour who works 8 hours on Canada Day. Premium pay is $240 (8 hours at $30). Add an average day’s pay of $150 and the total is $390 for the day, compared to $160 on a regular workday.4British Columbia Laws. British Columbia Code – Employment Standards Act
When the Holiday Falls on Your Day Off
If a statutory holiday lands on a day you were not scheduled to work, you are still entitled to an average day’s pay as long as you meet the eligibility rules.6Province of British Columbia. ESA Part 5, Section 45 – Statutory Holiday Pay
You and your employer can also agree in writing to substitute another day off with pay. The substitute day is then treated exactly like a statutory holiday for pay purposes, and the original date becomes a regular workday. Either side can propose the swap. For a group of employees, the employer can arrange a substitution if the majority agree.1Province of British Columbia. Statutory Holidays This matters most for workers on rotating schedules whose regular days off would otherwise wipe out several holidays in the same year.
Workers Who Are Not Covered
Several groups are carved out of the statutory holiday rules under the Employment Standards Regulation.
Managers and executives. A manager is defined as someone whose principal responsibilities are supervising or directing human or other resources, or someone employed in an executive capacity. Managers are excluded from both the hours-of-work provisions (Part 4) and the statutory holiday provisions (Part 5).7Province of British Columbia. Managers Job title alone does not decide this; if supervising staff is a small part of what you do, you may not meet the definition.
Licensed professionals. The Regulation excludes members of specified self-governing bodies, including chartered professional accountants, lawyers, physicians, dentists, architects, professional engineers, veterinarians, optometrists, licensed insurance agents, land surveyors, naturopathic doctors, chiropractors, real estate licensees, registered securities dealers, and professional foresters. The exclusion applies only while the person is actually practising that profession.8BC Laws. Employment Standards Regulation
High technology professionals. Section 37.8 of the Regulation excludes high technology professionals from Part 5 and most of Part 4. The definition covers people primarily engaged in investigating, analyzing, designing, developing, or engineering information systems, technological products, or scientific research and development, along with sales and marketing professionals working on those products. Retail salespeople and basic operational support staff are not included.9Province of British Columbia. High Technology Companies
Others. Secondary school students employed by their own school board, students in work-study or work-experience programs, sitters and home care workers averaging 15 hours or less per week, and participants in certain time-limited government training programs also fall outside the Act.8BC Laws. Employment Standards Regulation
Federally regulated workers — those in banking, interprovincial transport, telecommunications, and similar sectors — are governed by the Canada Labour Code rather than the BC Act, and their holiday rules differ.
If Your Employer Does Not Pay
Start by raising the issue directly with your employer. If that fails, you can file a complaint with the BC Employment Standards Branch. Most complaints must be filed within six months of the date the wages were owed. If the Branch finds a violation, it can order the employer to pay what is owed along with any applicable penalties. Keep your pay stubs, schedules, and any written messages about holiday pay — documentation carries most of the weight when hours worked and wages paid are in dispute.