Encoded rule v1.0.0 · rule data last verified 2026-07-06 · official source pages checked 2026-07-30
Answer first
The general British Columbia review
For most employees covered by B.C. employment standards, daily overtime starts after eight hours, double time starts after 12 hours, and weekly overtime starts after 40 hours. Only the first eight hours worked in each day count toward weekly overtime. A 30-minute meal break is required when an employee works more than five hours in a row.
An employee generally qualifies for statutory holiday pay after 30 calendar days of employment and after working or earning wages on 15 of the 30 days before the holiday. Average day pay is total eligible wages in the prior 30 calendar days, excluding overtime, divided by the number of days worked.
How is vacation pay calculated in British Columbia?
Under B.C.’s general minimum standard, vacation pay is at least 4% of total wages after five calendar days of employment and at least 6% after five consecutive years. A contract can provide more. Confirm which earnings form total wages, the employee’s service date, and whether vacation pay is paid before leave or on scheduled paydays under a written agreement before finalizing payroll.
These calculations follow our best reading of each province’s Employment Standards Act, but rules vary by employee classification, collective agreement, industry-specific exemptions, and edge cases we cannot detect. Treat the values as estimates only and confirm with a payroll professional or accountant before processing pay.
Assume a covered hourly cook works 10 hours on Monday and does not cross 40 hours for the week.
1
Regular time: 8 × $20 = $160
2
Daily overtime: 2 × ($20 × 1.5) = $60
Illustrative wages for the shift: $220.
Daily and weekly overtime must not be counted twice. Check all seven days, any averaging agreement, and occupation-specific exclusions before finalizing payroll.
Assume the employee earned $3,000 in eligible wages over 20 days worked during the 30 calendar days before the statutory holiday.
1
Average day pay: $3,000 ÷ 20 days = $150
2
If the employee works 8 hours at $20: 8 × $30 = $240 in time-and-a-half wages
3
Worked-holiday total in this example: $150 + $240 = $390
Illustrative statutory holiday pay plus eight worked hours: $390.
First confirm the 30-day employment and 15-of-30 wage-earning tests. Hours beyond 12 on the holiday use double time, and excluded employee categories follow different rules.
A closer is scheduled from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Provide one continuous 30-minute meal break before the employee works more than five hours in a row. Short coffee breaks do not add up to replace that meal break.
The entire meal break counts as time worked if the employee must work or remain available for work during it.
B.C. daily overtime makes the day boundary important. The current Maxuod Shift scheduler cannot store a continuous 10:00 p.m.–6:00 a.m. shift exactly, so keep a separate overnight record or reconcile a documented midnight split before reviewing daily and weekly overtime.
British Columbia restaurant scheduling scenario
A Vancouver cafe adds a two-hour close to an eight-hour prep and service shift. Even if the employee finishes the week below 40 hours, those two extra hours can still be daily overtime. Before payroll handoff, the manager should also confirm the meal break, the 30-day holiday lookback when relevant, and whether an overnight split changed the daily allocation.
Why some calculations always need review
We use current shift data × current hourly wage as the lookback wages. Vacation pay, paid sick leave, and historical wage changes are not yet tracked — this can shift the stat-pay number slightly.
Official sources and checked date
We opened the three government pages below on 2026-07-30. That is the content check for this guide; it does not change the encoded payroll rule version or its verification date.
When the estimate engine is enabled in a free account and a British Columbia payroll week contains a paid statutory holiday, Maxuod Shift separates worked-holiday days, non-worked eligible holidays, and regular days. It shows an estimated adjustment against the regular payroll amount already entered. Nothing is added to gross pay until the manager confirms the review.
The product provides estimates, source links, and review prompts. It does not decide employee coverage, approve an overtime agreement, confirm an absence, or replace payroll, accounting, or legal advice.
