Updated on: October 1, 2025
Currency
Canadian Dollar (CAD)
Employer Taxes
There are no specific employer tax requirements.
Payroll Frequency
Bi-weekly or semi-monthly
Employee Taxes
N/A
Language
English
Date Format
YYYY/MM/DD
British Columbia by the Numbers
Population
5.3 million
GDP
$300 billion
Weekly Working Hours
40 hours, overtime > 40 hours/week or > 8 hours/day
National Holidays
12
Hiring Difficulty Score
N/A
Weekly Working Hours
National Holidays
Leave
Paid general holidays include 10 days – such as New Year’s Day and Canada Day – while vacation benefits consist of 2 weeks after 1 year of employment (equivalent to 4% of wages) and 3 weeks after 5 years (equivalent to 6% of wages).
Employment Contracts
No federal or provincial law mandates written employment contracts but they are highly recommended to address locally mandated issues.
Types of Employment
There are two types of employment: Employees and Independent Contractors.
Employment Costs
IC Class Factors
Independent Contractor (IC) classification factors include the following: Degree of control of worker; Provision of own tools; Financial risk in own business; Responsibility for hired workers; Chance for profit; Degree of integration into the client’s work flow; Intent of the parties; Written contract
Labor Leasing
Minimum Wage Requirements
The minimum wage is $17.40.
Medical Benefits
Medical insurance is managed by the individual provinces. There is no requirement for medical benefits, but employers must adhere to employment contract terms if provided.
Probationary Periods
The probationary period lasts for 3 months, during which no termination notice is required.
Termination Notice
The termination notice requirements are as follows: Employees with 3 months to 1 year of service require 1 week of notice. Those with 1 to 3 years of service require 2 weeks of notice. Employees with more than 3 years of service require 3 weeks of notice, plus an additional week for each additional year of service, up to a maximum of 8 weeks.
Severance
The amount of written notice and/or pay is based on how long an employee has been employed.
| Length of employment | Amount required |
|---|---|
| 3 months or less | No notice and/or pay |
| More than 3 months | 1 week of notice and/or pay |
| More than 1 year | 2 weeks of notice and/or pay |
| More than 3 years | 3 weeks of notice and/or pay, plus 1 week of notice/pay after each additional year of employment (to a maximum of 8 weeks) |
Pre-hire Checks
Pre-hire checks are permitted with consent and must be relevant to the job.
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