ICBC Tip-of-the-Month (November 2014): Vacation Time Used is not Compensable

Used Vacation Time

In reasons for judgment delivered on November 19, 2014 in McCartney v. McArthur, Mr. Justice Bowen of the BC Supreme Court declined to award a plaintiff compensation for used vacation time while off recovering from his motor vehicle accident related injuries.

The Plaintiff missed a week of work and used up his vacation time during this period.  He was paid accordingly by his employer during the week off.  In finding that no claim for loss of income for this period can be advanced in his tort claim Mr. Justice Bowden provided the following brief reasons:

"[82] At the time of the accident the plaintiff was working about 32 hours a week at Oak Hills Woodcraft. He received a base salary of $1,200, plus a car allowance of $150 every two weeks, for a total of $1,350. He took seven days off after the accident; however, he used his vacation time for that time off and continued to receive his regular salary. In 2010 his income was $36,549 which is slightly more than he received in the years before the accident.

[83] The plaintiff seeks $1,181.25, representing his salary for the seven days that he did not work shortly after the accident when he used his vacation time. The plaintiff argues that by using seven days of his vacation entitlement he gave up something that should be compensated for as past wage loss.

[84] While the use of days from a bank of sick leave days may entitle a plaintiff to compensation for the loss of past income because the plaintiff may have to pay to replace the sick days, in my view the use of vacation time does not represent lost income. (Roberts v. Earthy, 1995 CarswellBC 1800 (B.C.S.C.)). During that vacation time the plaintiff continued to receive his expected income."

LESSON: use accumulated sick time for missed days from work due to accident related injuries, rather than vacation time.  The vacation time will be treated as vacation and you will not receive additional compensation. Sick time is considered to be a benefit lost and compensable. 

If you are confused or would like advice, consult an experienced ICBC personal injury lawyer.

Do you have questions about your ICBC personal injury claim or accident?  If so, click here arrange your free consultation with  ICBC Claims Lawyer Perminder S. Tung (Services provided for ICBC injury claims throughout all of BC: Vancouver, Surrey, Langley, Burnaby, Richmond, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Tri-city area and all over BC)

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