Updated October 13, 2026. A summary for planning, not legal, tax or payroll advice. Check the official source before you rely on it.
This is a summary for planning, not legal advice. It covers the general rules of the BC Employment Standards Act as described on the official gov.bc.ca Hours of work and overtime pages, checked on October 13, 2026. Different rules can apply under an averaging agreement, a variance, a union agreement or for some jobs. Always check the official source or call Employment Standards before you rely on it.
The rules, one by one
| Rule | What it means for your schedule | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Daily overtime | Time-and-a-half for hours over 8 in a day, up to 12. Double time for hours over 12 in a day. | gov.bc.ca |
| Weekly overtime | Time-and-a-half for hours over 40 in a week (Sunday to Saturday). Only the first 8 hours worked each day count toward the 40, so daily overtime is not counted twice. | gov.bc.ca |
| Split shifts | A split shift, including its breaks, must be completed within 12 hours of starting. | gov.bc.ca |
| Meal breaks | A 30-minute unpaid meal break after no more than 5 hours in a row. If the person has to work or stay available during it, the break is paid. Coffee breaks are not required. | gov.bc.ca |
| Rest between shifts | At least 8 hours off between shifts. Hours worked inside that window are added to the day's total, which usually means overtime. | gov.bc.ca |
| Weekly rest | At least 32 hours in a row free from work each week; working during it means extra pay. | gov.bc.ca |
| Minimum daily pay | Someone who reports for work is paid for at least 2 hours, even if they work less. If they were scheduled for more than 8 hours, at least 4 hours. Exceptions include being unfit to work or asking to leave early. | gov.bc.ca |
| Schedule changes | Employers can change or cancel shifts, as long as people still get the required time off. Changes don't need to be paid if the person is told before they report to work. | gov.bc.ca |
| Statutory holidays | BC has 11: New Year's Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, B.C. Day, Labour Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day and Christmas Day. Eligible employees get an average day's pay, and extra pay if they work the holiday. | gov.bc.ca |
| Minimum wage | $18.25 an hour since June 1, 2026. It rises each June 1 with BC inflation. | gov.bc.ca |
A worked overtime example
The government’s own example: someone works 8, 10, 6 and 13 hours in a week, 37 hours in total. There’s no weekly overtime, but there is daily overtime: 2 hours at time-and-a-half on the 10-hour day, and 4 hours at time-and-a-half plus 1 hour at double time on the 13-hour day. That’s 6 hours at 1.5x and 1 hour at 2x. (source)
Common traps in a café or restaurant week
- Close then open. A close at 11 pm followed by a 6 am open leaves 7 hours off. That breaks the 8-hour rest rule, and the hours worked inside it count toward the day’s total.
- Long split days. A 7 am to 11 am shift and a 5 pm to 9 pm shift for the same person ends 14 hours after it started, past the 12-hour limit for split shifts.
- Six hours with no break. A 6-hour shift needs a 30-minute meal break by the 5-hour mark.
- Sending someone home early. If they reported for work, they are owed at least 2 hours (4 if they were scheduled for more than 8), with the exceptions on the official page.
- Stat holidays. Plan for holiday pay in labour cost for the 11 BC stat holidays.
How Tasti Desk helps
Tasti Desk checks the overtime and rest rules while you build the week: it flags daily overtime (adding up both parts of a split day), weekly overtime, less than 8 hours between shifts, a week with no 32-hour rest and shifts under the 2-hour minimum, and shows labour cost against forecast sales as you go. Meal breaks and the 12-hour split shift limit are not checked, so keep an eye on those. The province is set per venue, so stat holidays follow BC. Pay shown in Desk is an estimate for planning, not payroll. See Desk for restaurants or for cafés.
Related features: Staff scheduling, Team, certificates and staff links.
Sources
- Hours of work and overtime (gov.bc.ca)
- Overtime pay (gov.bc.ca)
- Minimum daily pay (gov.bc.ca)
- Statutory holidays (gov.bc.ca)
- Minimum wage (gov.bc.ca)
- Averaging agreements (gov.bc.ca)
- Employment Standards Solution Explorer (BC government)