Sick Pay

All Employees

Here’s the provincial policy on sick days for employees in British Columbia, under the Employment Standards Act (ESA):

• Employees who have worked at least 90 consecutive days for the same employer are eligible.
• They are entitled to:
• 5 paid sick days per calendar year
• 3 unpaid sick days per calendar year

These days are job-protected and reset on January 1 each year. 

• Sick leave applies to personal illness or injury. Leave does not carry over year-to-year. 
• Employers can require “reasonably sufficient proof” of illness—such as a doctor’s note, pharmacy receipt, or hospital-issued documentation. 

• For paid sick days, employees receive an average day’s pay, calculated using the formula in ESA. 
• If a statutory holiday falls during sick leave, the employee is entitled to pay for both the sick day and the holiday.
• Vacation pay is calculated based on total wages, including paid sick days.