BC Vacation Pay Calculator
In British Columbia vacation pay is 4% of your annual wages, rising to 6% after five consecutive years. BC counts overtime and statutory holiday pay toward that base, which many provinces do not. On $52,000 of regular pay plus $4,200 of overtime and $1,400 of holiday pay, a BC employee at three years is owed $2,304.00 — $224 more than the same worker in Alberta.
Step 1 of 3
What you are owed in British Columbia
$2,304.00
of vacation pay, on $57,600.00 of earnings British Columbia counts
- Regular wagescounts
- $52,000.00
- Overtime paycounts
- $4,200.00
- Statutory holiday paycounts
- $1,400.00
- Commission and non-discretionary bonusescounts
- $0.00
- Tips and gratuitiesnot counted here
- $0.00
How this was calculated
- Earnings that count toward vacation payRegular wages $52,000.00 + Overtime pay $4,200.00 + Statutory holiday pay $1,400.00 = $57,600.00
- Your rate — 4%, after 5 calendar days$57,600.00 × 4% = $2,304.00
- Vacation time you are owed2 weeks, after 12 consecutive months — a separate entitlement from the pay
British Columbia: $2,304.00 of vacation pay and 2 weeks off.
That is $2,304.00 of vacation pay you have already earned. If it is not due until your next vacation or your final cheque, NotchUp can advance up to $1,500 of wages you have already earned for a $5 flat fee.
See what you could advance- 4% → 6%at 5 consecutive years
- 5 daysuntil pay starts accruing
- 12 monthsuntil time off vests
The rate, and when it changes
Section 58(1) of the Employment Standards Act sets two tiers. After five calendar days of employment you are owed 4% of your total wages for the year. After five consecutive years of employment that becomes 6%.
The Interpretive Guidelines are explicit that the 6% arises on completion of the fifth year, so the sixth year of employment is the first one that earns it.
What counts as "wages" in BC
This is where British Columbia differs most from its neighbour. The s. 1 definition of "wages" captures money paid for work and any amount the Act itself requires to be paid. The Interpretive Guidelines for s. 58 confirm that this pulls in overtime pay and statutory holiday pay.
Vacation pay is also itself wages in BC, so vacation pay from a previous year forms part of the base for the next — it compounds. Commissions and non-discretionary bonuses count. Purely discretionary gifts and tips do not.
Alberta's s. 1(x) expressly excludes overtime and general holiday pay from the same calculation. That single difference is worth more to a BC employee working regular overtime than the entire gap between the 4% and 6% tiers.
Your pay and your time off start on different days
Two separate clocks run, and BC separates them further than most provinces:
- Vacation pay begins accruing after five calendar days of employment (s. 58(1)).
- Vacation time — two weeks — vests only after 12 consecutive months (s. 57(1)). Three weeks after five years.
So a BC employee three months into a job has accrued 4% of everything they have earned and has no entitlement to take a day off. That money is still theirs; if they leave, it is paid out.
Section 58(3) requires vacation pay to be paid at least seven days before the vacation begins, or on the regular payday if the employee agrees in writing. Vacation must be taken within 12 months of being earned.
If you are owed unpaid vacation pay in BC
Complaints go to the Employment Standards Branch. A complaint must be delivered within six months of the last day of employment, and recovery generally reaches back 12 months from the complaint or termination date.
Keep your pay statements: s. 27 requires them to show vacation pay separately, which makes an underpayment straightforward to demonstrate.
Frequently asked questions
Is BC vacation pay 4% or 6%?
4% of your annual wages after five calendar days of employment, and 6% after five consecutive years — s. 58(1) of the Employment Standards Act. The claim that BC is 6% from the start is wrong; that figure comes from the separate silviculture rules.
Does overtime count toward vacation pay in BC?
Yes. The s. 1 definition of "wages" includes amounts the Act requires to be paid, and the Interpretive Guidelines for s. 58 confirm that captures overtime and statutory holiday pay. This is a real divergence from Alberta, whose s. 1(x) expressly excludes both.
Do I get vacation time in my first year in BC?
No. Vacation time vests after 12 consecutive months under s. 57(1). Vacation pay is different — it starts accruing after five calendar days. A new BC employee can be owed vacation pay and have no right to take time off, and that money is paid out if they leave.
When must my employer pay BC vacation pay?
At least seven days before the vacation starts, or on the regular payday if you have agreed to that in writing. Section 27 requires your pay statement to show vacation pay as a separate line.
Does vacation pay accrue on vacation pay in BC?
Yes. Vacation pay is itself "wages" in BC, so last year’s vacation pay forms part of this year’s base. It compounds — unlike Ontario, where s. 35.2 excludes it in terms, and Manitoba, where s. 39(1)(c) does the same.
How long do I have to claim unpaid vacation pay in BC?
A complaint must reach the Employment Standards Branch within six months of your last day of employment, and recovery generally reaches back 12 months. Alberta, by contrast, gives vacation pay a two-year recovery window.
Sources
Every rate, threshold and formula on this page was verified against these primary sources. If a figure here disagrees with one of them, the source is right and we want to know.