Severance pay · British Columbia
British Columbia severance pay calculator.
What British Columbia law requires an employer to pay when it ends employment without cause, in dollars, and whether the package you were offered clears that minimum.
British Columbia sets a legal floor in the form of compensation for length of service: up to 8 weeks of pay, after more than 3 consecutive months of service. BC’s page does not use the word severance. The statutory entitlement is called compensation for length of service, and the employer may pay it as money instead of giving working notice.
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Statutory minimum
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British Columbia minimum notice and compensation for length of service
| Length of continuous service | Minimum notice, or pay in its place |
|---|---|
| 3 months or less | None |
| Over 3 months | 1 week |
| Over 1 year | 2 weeks |
| Over 3 years | 3, plus 1 more week for each additional year, to a maximum of 8 weeks |
How the pay is worked out
A week of pay is the wages earned over the last 8 weeks divided by 8. It includes salary, commission, statutory holiday pay and paid vacation, and it excludes overtime.
Pay is calculated on the average of the last 8 weeks, so a tool that multiplies a single stated salary is an approximation if your earnings varied.
Severance in British Columbia
BC’s page does not use the word severance. The statutory entitlement is called compensation for length of service, and the employer may pay it as money instead of giving working notice.
Outside Ontario and the federal jurisdiction, the statutory minimum is notice or pay in place of it. Anything above that comes from a contract or from a court. The amount of a court award is fact-specific and cannot be read off a table, so this page does not estimate it.
Near a threshold?
Provinces word their cut-offs differently (“more than”, “at least”, in days, weeks or months). This calculator uses completed months. If you are within a few days of a threshold, confirm the exact date with the employment standards office.
Source, checked 15 October 2026: Government of British Columbia — Termination: quit or fired.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a statutory severance pay in British Columbia?
BC’s page does not use the word severance. The statutory entitlement is called compensation for length of service, and the employer may pay it as money instead of giving working notice. What the law fixes is the minimum notice, or compensation for length of service in its place. That is the amount this page calculates.
How much is the minimum British Columbia owes me?
It depends on continuous service. After the qualifying period (more than 3 consecutive months) the minimum is shown in the table above, rising to a maximum of 8 weeks of pay. Enter your service and pay in the calculator for a dollar figure.
Can my employer offer less than this?
Not for a termination without cause. An employment contract can promise more than the statutory minimum but not less. If an offer is below the figure above, ask the province's employment standards office or a lawyer before signing.
Does a larger offer mean the offer is fair?
No. The statutory figure is a floor. Beyond it, courts in common-law provinces can award more under common law, which is not a formula and is not estimated here. Do not treat "above the minimum" as "fair" before getting advice.
Estimate only — not legal advice
This page estimates the statutory minimum from the province’s published employment standards guidance. It is not legal advice and not a determination of what you are owed. It does not model group terminations, temporary layoffs, fixed-term contracts, contractual terms, or common-law reasonable notice, any of which can change the answer. It stores nothing and sends nothing: the calculation runs in your browser.
For a binding answer, contact the province’s employment standards office or an employment lawyer. Do not sign a release without advice.