• First Reference
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Blog Signup 📨

First Reference Talks

Discussions on Human Resources, Employment Law, Payroll and Internal Controls

  • Home
  • About
  • Archives
  • Resources
  • Buy Policies
You are here: Home / Employee Relations / Family Day, a public holiday in British Columbia

By Marie-Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B. Managing Editor | 2 Minutes Read February 7, 2014

Family Day, a public holiday in British Columbia

Family day BC
Image: Blog.gov.bc.ca/bcfamilyday/
Employees in British Columbia get a day off with pay on Family Day which is celebrated the second Monday in February each year. As a result, family day for BC employees this year is Monday February 10. To be eligible for this statutory holiday, an employee must Have been employed for 30 calendar days before the statutory holiday and, have worked or earned wages on 15 of the 30 days immediately before the statutory holiday. Employees are entitled to be paid an average day’s pay.

In British Columbia, vacation days count as days worked when determining entitlement to public holiday. Employees who work under an averaging agreement at any time in the 30 days before the holiday do not have to meet the 15-day requirement.

If the employee agrees or has to work on the public holiday, they will be compensated by receiving time-and-a-half for the first 12 hours worked and double-time for any work over 12 hours plus an average days pay. The employee may be given an alternate day off with holiday pay to substitute for the public holiday, if the employer and employee agree. The employee may also credit the wages for the alternate day off to his or her time bank.

Where an employer and the majority of employees agree, the employer may substitute another day off for a statutory holiday. An alternate or substitute day off must be scheduled no later than six months after the public holiday for which it was earned. The alternate or substitute day off must be scheduled before the employee’s next annual vacation or before the date the employment ends.

Note that some employees may be exempt from public holiday entitlements under the British Columbia Employment Standards Act.

Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Prince Edward Island are the other Canadian jurisdiction that recognize Family Day as a public (statutory) holiday and allow workers that qualify time off with pay on that day. However, these provinces celebrate family day on the third Monday in February each year. As a result, family day for these provinces fall on Monday February 17, 2014. By having the holiday of family day on the second Monday, British Columbians will be able to enjoy not only ski hills, but also parks and other local attractions throughout the province without other long-weekend traffic.

The Nova Scotia government passed Bill 15, An Act to Establish a Holiday in February Act on December 12, 2013 to establish the third Monday in February in 2015 and in each subsequent year as a public holiday starting in February 2015.

Important note about federally regulated workplaces: Provincial employment standards legislation does not apply to employees of federally regulated businesses like banks, telecommunications companies, railways and airlines, or to federal civil servants. These employers are covered by the Canada Labour Code, which does not provide for family day. However, federally regulated employers can at their discretion add Family Day as a public holiday or floater day in workplace policies.

Yosie Saint-Cyr
First Reference Human Resources and Compliance Managing Editor

  • About
  • Latest Posts
Follow me
Marie-Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B. Managing Editor
Managing Editor at First Reference Inc.
Marie-Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B., is a trained lawyer called to the Quebec bar in 1988 and is still a member in good standing. She practiced business, employment and labour law until 1999. For over 20 years, Yosie has been the Managing Editor at First Reference. She manages the PolicyPro Human Resources and Internal Controls editions, The Human Resources Advisor editions, PaySource and the HRinfodesk news service as well as the blogs. Marie-Yosie (a.k.a. Yosie) is a recognized and respected author, with an extensive background in human resources, employment and labour across the country.
Follow me
Latest posts by Marie-Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B. Managing Editor (see all)
  • First Reference annual holiday donation, season’s greetings, and holiday break - December 23, 2022
  • Top 10+ First Reference Talks blog posts for 2022 - December 23, 2022
  • EI sickness benefits extending on December 18 - November 29, 2022

Article by Marie-Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B. Managing Editor / Employee Relations, Employment Standards, Payroll / British Columbia, Day off with pay, employment law, employment standards act, entitlement to public holiday, Family day, policies and procedures, Public Holiday, public holidays, Statutory Holiday, statutory holidays, Time off with pay

Share with a friend or colleague

Get the Latest Posts in your Inbox for Free!

Electronic monitoring

About Marie-Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B. Managing Editor

Marie-Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B., is a trained lawyer called to the Quebec bar in 1988 and is still a member in good standing. She practiced business, employment and labour law until 1999. For over 20 years, Yosie has been the Managing Editor at First Reference. She manages the PolicyPro Human Resources and Internal Controls editions, The Human Resources Advisor editions, PaySource and the HRinfodesk news service as well as the blogs. Marie-Yosie (a.k.a. Yosie) is a recognized and respected author, with an extensive background in human resources, employment and labour across the country.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Irene Koal says

    February 10, 2014 at 3:22 pm

    I undestand that managers are not included in the statutory holiday provision in BC.
    Can you please provide more detail? What does it mean?
    Are managers entitled to stat holidays with pay, but are not covered by 1.5 rate if they do work? If not entitled to holiday pay, are they entitled to a day off without pay or are they required to work on stat holidays? I know that most employers are allowing managers a day off with pay on statutory holidays in BC, but I just heard on an employer where all managers work on the stats. What are their rights.
    Is the low the same in all provinces or this exclusion is unique to BC? Thanks for any insight on this issue.

Footer

About us

Established in 1995, First Reference is the leading publisher of up to date, practical and authoritative HR compliance and policy databases that are essential to ensure organizations meet their due diligence and duty of care requirements.

First Reference Talks

  • Home
  • About
  • Archives
  • Resources
  • Buy Policies

Main Menu

  • About First Reference
  • Resources
  • Contact us
  • 1 800 750 8175

Stay Connected

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

We welcome your comments on our blog articles. However, we do not respond to specific legal questions in this space.
We do not provide any form of legal advice or legal opinion. Please consult a lawyer in your jurisdiction or try one of our products.


Copyright © 2009 - 2023 · First Reference Inc. · All Rights Reserved
Legal and Copyright Notices · Publisher's Disclaimer · Privacy Policy · Accessibility Policy