Source:  BC Employment Standards Act

Hours of Work: When scheduling employees, employers must observe the requirements regarding meal breaks, time off between shifts, scheduling split shifts, hours free from work each week, minimum daily pay and overtime.  *ADD BREAK REGULATIONS HERE

Minimum Wage Rates: Regardless of whether an employee is paid by the hour, by salary or by commission, employers must ensure that payment equals at least minimum wage for all hours worked.  As of September 15, 2016 minimum wage rates are as follows:

• $10.85 per hour for regular workers
• $9.60 per hour for liquor servers
• See the Minimum Wage Rate for Liquor Servers factsheets for further details and other rates.

Did You Know?  You can pay an employee a flat rate for a specific job or project so long as it is equal to or greater than the minimum rate for hours worked to complete that job or project.

Paydays: All employees must be paid at least twice a month. A pay period may not exceed 16 days. All money earned, including overtime and statutory holiday pay, must be paid within eight days after the end of the pay period. Wages must be paid in Canadian currency and may be paid by direct deposit to an employee’s bank account if authorized in writing by the employee.

Vacation and Vacation Pay: An employer must give an employee an annual vacation of at least two weeks after 12 months of employment, and three weeks after five years of employment. After being employed for five calendar days, an employee is entitled to receive annual vacation pay of at least 4% of all wages earned for the first five years of employment and 6% after that.

Statutory Holidays: Employees who have been employed for 30 calendar days, and have worked 15 of the 30 days before a statutory holiday, are entitled to statutory holiday pay of an average day’s pay. In addition, eligible employees who work on a statutory holiday are entitled to be paid time-and-one-half.  In BC, the 10 Statutory Holidays are: (click here to download 2017-2020 calendars)

• New Years Day (Jan 1st)
• Family Day (2nd Monday in Feb)
• Good Friday (Easter)
• Victoria Day (3rd Monday n May)
• Canada Day (July 1st)
• BC Day (1st Monday in August)
• Labour Day (1st Monday in September)
• Thanksgiving (2nd Monday in October)
• Remembrance Day (Nov 11th)
• Christmas Day (Dec25th)

Leaves and Jury Duty: Employers must grant the following types of unpaid leaves: pregnancy, parental, family responsibility, compassionate care, bereavement, reservists’ and jury duty.

Deductions from wages: An employer may only deduct wages as required or permitted by this Act or by other legislation (e.g. income tax, CPP, EI). An employer cannot require an employee to pay any portion of an employer’s business costs, nor can an employer deduct advances and accidental overpayments from wages unless the employee has given written authorization.

Termination: An employer may terminate an employee if sufficient written notice or compensation in lieu of notice is provided. Employers must pay final wages within 48 hours of terminating an employee or within six days if the employee quits.

Keeping Records: Employers must keep records for each employee showing the employee’s wage rate; the hours worked each day; benefits paid; gross and net wages for each pay period; deductions taken; dates of statutory holidays and vacations taken, and amounts paid. These records must be kept whether the employee is paid by the hour, by salary or commission, or by piece rate.

Who is Covered by the Employment Standards Act:  All employees are entitled to the protection of the Act whether they are employed on a part-time, full-time, temporary or permanent basis, and whether they are paid by the hour, by salary or commission, or by piece rate. Failure by an employer to comply with the Act may result in penalties being assessed.