BC (British Columbia) Provincial Payroll Information

This page provides provincial payroll information for the province of British Columbia. Click one of the links below to move directly to the corresponding section. To view Federal information, please click here.

Choose a Topic:

Minimum Wage  Hours of work  Worker's Compensation  Leaves  Statutory Holidays  Minimum Age  Pay Statements  Terminations  Vacationable Earnings  Provincial Health

 

  • TD1 - Basic Personal Amount - Every person employed in British Columbia and every pensioner residing in B.C. can claim the personal exemption amount of $12,580 in 2024 (up from $11,981 in 2023).
  • Federal Basic Exemption - The Federal Basic Exemption amount is $15,705 in 2024 (up from $15,000 in 2023).

Note: This information is meant to serve as a guide only. Readers are encouraged to consult the full legislation of B.C.'s Employment Standards Act. Here are some online resources:


Minimum Wage in BC

The province of British Columbia has various wage rate standards as follows:

Parties Applicable (requirements) Wage Rate
General $16.75 per hour as of June 1st, 2023 (rising to an estimated $17.40 on June 1, 2024).

Hours of Work in BC

The type of employee excluded from this legislature are management, teachers or instructors, police officers, firefighters, farm workers, fishers, commercial travelers, live-in home support, etc.

A week is defined as Sunday to Saturday.

Period Rate
Maximum No regulation - must be safe for workers
Minimum 2 hours at regular wage or 4 hours at regular wage if employee is scheduled to work more than 8 hours
Overtime paid after 8.00 hours/day or 40.00 hours/week
Overtime Rate 1 and 1/2 times the employee's regular rate of pay
Double Time paid after 12.00 hours per day
Double Time Rate 2 times regular rate of pay
Break Period 1/2 hour per consecutive 5 hours worked
Rest Period 8.00 hours between shifts

Worker's Compensation in BC

The Maximum Assessable Earnings amount for 2024 is $116,700 (up from $112,800 in 2023). The deadline for submission is February 28 (Quarterly payments only) or March 3-11 (deadlines are staggered according to your account number).

Included
Car allowances (unless employer requests ruling) Temporary lay-off with pay
Clothing allowances (unless employer requests ruling) Maternity with pay
Moving allowances (unless employer requests ruling) Pre-retirement pay (unless employer requests ruling)
Travel allowances (unless employer requests ruling) Regular salary or wages/overtime
Bonuses Shift premium
Commissions Sick pay (during year)
Call in pay WCB top-up
Call back pay Short-term disability paid by the employer
Standby pay Long-term disability paid by the employer
Directors' fees Vacation pay
Gifts (cash) Paid statutory holidays
Gratuities (if documented)  
 
Taxable Benefits such as:
RRSP Stock options
 
Excluded
Retiring allowance WCB award
Severance pay Wages in lieu of notice / indemnity
Sick pay on termination  
 
Taxable Benefits such as:
Board & lodging Loans
Company car Private health care
Life insurance Provincial medical

Leaves of Absence in BC

Bereavement Leave
Time with Employer N/A
Required Notice N/A
Length of Leave Three days.
Paid No
 
Compassionate Care Leave
Time with Employer There is no specified period to qualify for leave.
Required Notice As soon as is practicable, a Medical certificate stating that the family member has a serious medical condition with a significant risk of death within 26 weeks.
Length of Leave Up to 27 weeks.
Paid No.
 
Death of a Child Leave
Time with Employer N/A
Required Notice Reasonable verification that they are entitled to the death of a child leave as soon as is reasonable.
Length of Leave Up to 104 weeks if the child has died as a probable result of a crime.
Paid No. Employees may be eligible for income support through the federal Parents of Murdered or Missing Children grant.
 
Disappearance of a Child Leave
Time with Employer N/A
Required Notice Reasonable verification that they are entitled to the disappearance of a child leave as soon as is reasonable.
Length of Leave Up to 52 weeks if the child has disappeared.
Paid No. Employees may be eligible for income support through the federal Parents of Murdered or Missing Children grant.
 
 
Family Responsibility Leave
Time with Employer N/A
Required Notice Reasonable notice prior to the leave.
Length of Leave 5 days in total per year.
Paid No
 
Parental Leave
Time with Employer No specific time period
Required Notice At least four weeks written notice.
Length of Leave 61 consecutive weeks for a birth mother or 62 weeks for an adoptive parent.
Extension of Leave 5 weeks
Paid No
 
Pregnancy Leave
Time with Employer No specific period of time
Required Notice At least four weeks if possible.
Length of Leave 17 weeks (without pay) taken any time within the 11 weeks before with the minimum of 6 weeks taken after the birth.
Extension of Leave Up to 6 weeks
Paid No.
 
Reservist Leave
Time with Employer N/A
Required Notice 4 weeks written notice (or as soon as practicable) prior to the date the leave begins.
Length of Leave Up to 20 days each calendar year for annual training, and as long as necessary to accommodate the period of service required for international or domestic deployment.
Paid No.
 
Sick Leave
There is no provincial requirement for an employer to give an employee paid sick leave. However, if sick leave is paid or allowed, it may not be deducted at a later date from any other entitlement to a paid holiday, vacation pay, or other wages.
 
Voting Leave
Time with Employer N/A
Required Notice N/A
Length of Leave Four hours for Provincial elections and three hours for Federal elections.
Paid According to the Canada Elections Act, any eligible voter must have three consecutive hours to exercise their right to vote in a Federal eledtion on an election day. If an employee does not have three consecutive hours because of their work schedule, they must be granted the hours accordingly with pay.

View the BC government's Leaves of Absence web page for more information.

Statutory Holidays in BC

Holiday 2024 2023 2022 2021 Day Observed
New Year's Day Mon., January 1 Sun., January 1 Sat., January 1 Fri., January 1 January 1
Family Day Mon., February 19 Mon., February 20 Mon., February 21 Mon., February 15 3rd Monday in February
Good Friday Fri., March 29 Fri., April 7 Fri., April 15 Fri., April 2 The Friday before Easter Sunday
Victoria Day Mon, May 20 Mon, May 22 Mon, May 23 Mon, May 24 The Monday preceding May 25th
Canada Day Mon., July 1 Sat., July 1 Fri., July 1 Thu., July 1 July 1
British Columbia Day1 Mon., August 5 Mon., August 7 Wed., August 1 Mon., August 2 The First Monday in August
Labour Day Mon., September 2 Mon., September 4 Mon., September 5 Mon., September 6 The First Monday in September
Thanksgiving Day Mon., October 14 Mon., October 9 Mon., October 10 Mon., October 11 The Second Monday in October
Remembrance Day Mon., November 11 Sat., November 11 Fri., November 11 Thu., November 11 November 111
Christmas Day Wed., December 25 Mon., December 25 Sun., December 25 Sat., December 25 December 25

According to the Canadian Labour Standards Code, whenever New Year's Day, Canada Day, Remembrance Day, Christmas Day, or Boxing Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the employer must grant his or her employee a holiday with pay on the next working day immediately preceding or following the holiday, providing that the holiday is a provincial requirement. If the statutory holiday falls on a regularly scheduled work day and is worked, then for the first 11 hours worked the employee must be granted time and a half of their regular rate of pay. For any hours in excess of 11 hours the employee must receive double time plus a day off with pay. The vacation must be taken while the employee is still employed by the employer and before the employee's next annual vacation.

* British Columbia Day is considered a provincial statutory holiday. It falls on the first Monday of August.

** December 26, Boxing Day, is regarded as a general holiday under the Holiday Shopping Regulation Act.

How to Calculate Statutory Holiday Pay...


Minimum Age in BC

Children who are 12 or older, but have not yet turned 15, cannot be employed without the written consent of a parent or legal guardian (and must be under the direct and immediate supervision of a person aged 19 or older at all times while working). Children under 12 years of age cannot be employed without a child employment permit issued by the Director of Employment Standards.

Pay Statements

For British Columbia the pay is required semi-monthly or more frequently. The employee must receive their regular wages within eight days after the end of each period. British Columbia's pay statements must contain the following:

Pay Statement Inclusions
Itemized Deductions Other earnings/payments (incl. vacation, commissions, bonus, allowances)
Net pay Employer name and address
Statutory, public, general and holiday pay hours Overtime wages and rate
Total hours worked Overtime banked and overtime taken
Wage rate  

Termination Notice in BC

Individual Termination
Length of Employment Notice Required
Under 3 months None
Between 3 to 12 months 1 week
Between 1 to 3 years 2 weeks
3 years 3 weeks
Over 3 years For every year of employment after 3 years, an additional week of notice is required up to 8 weeks in total.
Group Termination
Number of Employees Notice Required
50 to 100 8 weeks
101 to 300 12 weeks
Over 301 16 weeks

Vacationable Earnings in BC

Inclusions and Exclusions
Included
Bonuses (work related, cash) Overtime pay
Call in pay Regular salary/wages
Call back pay Retroactive pay
Commissions earned at employer's premises Shift premium
Commissions earned by a route salesman Statutory - Company Holidays (floaters)
Employer-paid long term disability Statutory
Employer-paid short term disability Vacation pay (previously paid)
In lieu of notice pay/Termination pay  
 
Excluded
Allowances (car, clothing, moving, etc.) Retiring allowance
Discretionary bonuses (cash) Severance/Plant severance
Directors' fees Sick Pay
Gifts (cash or in kind) Standby pay
Maternity leave top-ups Stock options
Profit Sharing Tips and Gratuities
 
Taxable Benefits such as:
Board & lodgings Loans
Company car / parking Provincial Medical
Life Insurance  
Vacationable Entitlement
Length of employment Entitlement
1 to 4 years 2 weeks or 4%
5 years or more 3 weeks or 6%

Provincial Health

The employer health tax is an annual tax on an employer's B.C. remuneration paid to employees and former employees in a calendar year.

EHT for BC Employers:
Remuneration Amount Tax Amount
$500,000 or less (the exemption amount) No tax
Between $500,000.01 and $600,000 (the notch rate amount) 2.925%
Between $600,000.01 and $1,500,000 (the notch rate amount) 2.925%
Greater than $1,500,001 and over 1.95%

For further details, visit the BC government's Employer health tax overview web page.



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