I am petitioning to express my concern about a gap in British Columbia’s Employment Standards Act that unfairly affects part-time workers: the statutory holiday pay eligibility requirement that an employee must have worked at least 15 of the 30 days prior to the holiday.

This rule excludes a significant portion of BC’s part-time workforce—many of whom are students, caregivers, disabled individuals, or those working multiple jobs, myself included—from receiving fair compensation on statutory holidays. Part-time workers contribute meaningfully to the economy and often face financial hardship, yet are denied basic entitlements simply because their hours don’t meet an outdated threshold.

This policy punishes people for working fewer days, not fewer hours. For example, a part-time worker who works two 10-hour shifts a week still contributes 20 hours weekly but is deemed ineligible, while someone working four 2-hour shifts per week qualifies. This system is arbitrary and inequitable. An employee would need to be working at least four shifts a week to qualify for stat holiday pay, which is one day less than a full-time employee. 

British Columbia is significantly lacking in support for employees, and they should be advancing worker protections and promoting fairness. Statutory holidays are meant to recognize and compensate all workers, not just those with the privilege of consistent, frequent scheduling.

The Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland governments have all implemented a system where there is no minimum requirement of days worked in a month to qualify for stat holiday pay. In addition, every other province and territory includes salaried managers in their stat holiday pay eligibility, offering either premium pay for hours worked and/or holiday pay/substitute days if eligible, which BC does not. 

British Columbia, especially Metro Vancouver and Victoria, top the charts in housing costs and everyday living expenses, but full and part-time employees' average yearly salary doesn’t reflect that, with BC having one of the worst affordability ratios in Canada.  

This petition aims to reform the 15-day rule and support a more equitable, hour-based threshold or alternate mechanism that reflects the reality of part-time employment in our province. Every worker who contributes should be entitled to the same respect and recognition—regardless of how many days a month they are scheduled.