Easter weekend brings some time off for workers in B.C. this month, but only one day bookending the weekend is a statutory holiday.
B.C. designates Good Friday (April 18) as a statutory holiday.
Some employers may also give workers Easter Monday (April 21) off, but it’s not mandatory.
Employees who qualify for statutory holiday pay will get paid a regular day’s wage even though they get the day off. If qualifying employees work on a statutory holiday, they get a regular day’s wages plus time and a half for hours worked that day.
To qualify for statutory holiday pay, employees typically have to have been employed for 30 calendar days and worked or earned wages (vacation days and sick days count) on 15 of the 30 days before a statutory holiday.
Some types of workers are excluded from statutory holiday pay, including nursing students, volunteer firefighters, farm workers, managers, fishers, forestry workers, car and truck sales workers, and people working in commission-based sales.
Some workers in the excluded classes have other provisions for receiving statutory pay. Some sectors must receive an additional 4.4% on each paycheque in lieu of statutory holiday pay. Commission salespeople only miss out on statutory holiday pay if the actual amount they’re earning is greater than the amount they’d receive in statutory holiday pay.
Looking forward to the other upcoming statutory holidays in B.C.? Here they are:
Victoria Day: Monday, May 19
Canada Day: Tuesday, July 1
B.C. Day: Monday, Aug. 4
Labour Day: Monday, Sept. 1
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: Tuesday, Sept. 30
Thanksgiving Day: Monday, Oct. 13
Remembrance Day: Tuesday, Nov. 11
Christmas Day: Thursday, Dec. 25