In BC, stat holiday pay is an “average day’s pay”: take everything the employee earned in the 30 calendar days before the holiday (not counting overtime) and divide it by the number of days they worked or earned wages in that period. To qualify, the employee must have been employed for 30 calendar days and have worked or earned wages on at least 15 of the 30 days before the holiday. If they work on the stat, they get that average day’s pay plus time-and-a-half for the hours worked.
Remembrance Day (November 11) and Christmas are right around the corner, so here’s exactly how to pay your staff without getting it wrong.
On this page
- How Stat Holiday Pay Is Calculated in BC (Formula and Short Answer)
- Who Qualifies for Stat Holiday Pay (the 15-of-30-Days Rule)
- Step-by-Step Calculation Example
- Pay for Working on a Stat Holiday (Time-and-a-Half and Double Time)
- Stat Holiday on a Day Off or During Vacation
- BC Statutory Holidays: 2026 and 2027 Dates
- FAQ: Stat Holiday Pay in BC
- Let Maxpro Run Your BC Payroll Accurately
How Stat Holiday Pay Is Calculated in BC (Formula and Short Answer)
The formula is set by BC Employment Standards:
Total wages in the 30 calendar days before the holiday ÷ number of days worked or earned wages = stat holiday pay (an average day’s pay)
What goes into “total wages”:
- Regular wages and salary
- Commissions
- Vacation pay paid in that period
- Stat holiday pay paid for an earlier holiday in that period
- Paid sick days required under the Employment Standards Act
What you leave out: overtime pay.
What counts as a “day worked”: any day the employee earned wages, including paid vacation days, paid sick days required by employment standards, and earlier paid stat holidays.
Who Qualifies for Stat Holiday Pay (the 15-of-30-Days Rule)
An employee qualifies if both are true:
- They’ve been employed for at least 30 calendar days before the holiday, and
- They worked or earned wages on at least 15 of the 30 days before the holiday.
| Employee situation | Qualifies? |
| Full-time, hired 6 months ago | Yes |
| Part-time, worked 16 of the last 30 days | Yes |
| Part-time, worked 11 of the last 30 days | No. Gets regular pay only if they work the holiday |
| Hired 3 weeks ago | No. Not employed 30 days yet |
| Working under an averaging agreement within the 30 days | Yes, as long as they’ve been employed 30 days |
Some groups have their own rules or are excluded, for example managers, certain farm workers and some high-tech professionals. If you’re unsure about a role, check before you run payroll.
Step-by-Step Calculation Example
Maria works part-time at a café in Burnaby, $20/hour. In the 30 calendar days before Remembrance Day she:
- Worked 18 days
- Earned $2,160 in regular wages
- Earned $90 in overtime (excluded)
- Took 1 paid sick day ($120)
Step 1: Total wages (no overtime)
$2,160 + $120 = $2,280
Step 2: Days worked or earned wages
18 days worked + 1 paid sick day = 19 days
Step 3: Divide
$2,280 ÷ 19 = $120.00 stat holiday pay
Maria qualifies (employed more than 30 days, earned wages on 19 of the last 30), so she gets $120 for Remembrance Day whether she works or not.
Pay for Working on a Stat Holiday (Time-and-a-Half and Double Time)
If an eligible employee works on the stat, you pay them:
| Hours worked on the stat | Rate |
| First 12 hours | 1.5 × regular wage |
| Over 12 hours | 2 × regular wage |
| Plus | One average day’s pay |
Example (continued): Maria works 8 hours on Remembrance Day.
- Premium pay: 8 × $20 × 1.5 = $240
- Average day’s pay: $120
- Total for the day: $360
If an employee doesn’t qualify for stat pay but works the holiday, they get their regular wage for the hours worked. No premium, no average day’s pay.
Stat Holiday on a Day Off or During Vacation
Holiday falls on the employee’s regular day off: They still get an average day’s pay if they qualify. You can’t skip it just because they weren’t scheduled.
Holiday falls during their vacation: The employee still gets an average day’s pay for the stat, and the stat shouldn’t be counted as one of their vacation days.
Holiday falls on a weekend: If it’s a regular day off, see above. BC doesn’t automatically move stats to a weekday. The rule just follows each employee’s schedule.
BC Statutory Holidays: 2026 and 2027 Dates
BC has 11 statutory holidays. Easter Monday and Boxing Day are not stats in BC (you can give them, but they’re optional).
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 |
| New Year’s Day | Thu, Jan 1 | Fri, Jan 1 |
| Family Day | Mon, Feb 16 | Mon, Feb 15 |
| Good Friday | Fri, Apr 3 | Fri, Mar 26 |
| Victoria Day | Mon, May 18 | Mon, May 24 |
| Canada Day | Wed, Jul 1 | Thu, Jul 1 |
| B.C. Day | Mon, Aug 3 | Mon, Aug 2 |
| Labour Day | Mon, Sep 7 | Mon, Sep 6 |
| National Day for Truth and Reconciliation | Wed, Sep 30 | Thu, Sep 30 |
| Thanksgiving | Mon, Oct 12 | Mon, Oct 11 |
| Remembrance Day | Wed, Nov 11 | Thu, Nov 11 |
| Christmas Day | Fri, Dec 25 | Sat, Dec 25 |
FAQ: Stat Holiday Pay in BC
Do part-time employees get stat holiday pay in BC?
Yes, if they meet the 15-of-30-days rule. Their average day’s pay will just be smaller.
Do salaried employees get extra pay for a stat?
Their salary already covers the day off. If they work the stat, they’re owed time-and-a-half for the hours worked on top of their salary (unless they’re in an excluded group like managers).
Is Boxing Day a stat holiday in BC?
No. Boxing Day and Easter Monday aren’t statutory holidays in BC.
What if an employee is on a leave (like maternity leave) during the stat?
They don’t get stat pay for a holiday during an unpaid leave, because they haven’t earned wages on 15 of the 30 days.
When do I have to pay it?
On the regular pay day for the pay period the holiday falls in.
What happens if I get it wrong?
The employee can file a complaint with the Employment Standards Branch, and you can be ordered to pay what’s owed plus penalties.
