Identify exactly what has not been paid
Separate regular wages, overtime, statutory holiday pay, vacation pay, commissions, bonuses, expense reimbursements and termination compensation. Different rules or contract terms may apply to each category.
B.C.’s Employment Standards Branch provides current information about minimum standards for wages and payment. Its 2026 Employment Standards guidance is a useful starting point for provincially regulated workplaces.
Commission disputes often turn on the plan language
Commission plans should be read carefully for the event that earns the commission, payment timing, chargebacks, cancellations and what happens when employment ends. A dispute can arise where a sale was substantially completed before termination but payment would ordinarily occur later.
Preserve sales reports, CRM records available to you lawfully, commission statements and written plan terms. Do not take confidential employer data you are not entitled to retain.
Employment Standards complaints have their own deadlines
The Employment Standards complaint process is designed to enforce statutory minimums for covered employees. A terminated employee generally has six months after the last day of employment to file a complaint, according to the province’s current complaint guidance. Other court claims can have different limitation periods.
Because forum choice can affect remedies, do not assume that filing one type of complaint preserves every other possible claim.
Final pay and termination can overlap
When employment ends, unpaid compensation may be only one part of the dispute. The employee may also need to assess notice, benefits, bonus entitlement or a release. See the severance-pay guide and wrongful dismissal guide.
Records that make a wage claim easier to understand
- Employment agreement and compensation plan
- Pay statements and time records
- Commission statements and sales records
- Vacation records
- Termination letter
- Emails about disputed calculations or deductions
- Bank records showing amounts actually received
Questions people often ask
Can commissions be wages?
Commission compensation can engage employment-standards rules, but the specific plan and circumstances matter.
Can I use the Employment Standards Branch for every compensation dispute?
No. Coverage, statutory jurisdiction and the nature of the claim matter. Some disputes may require another process.
Should I wait for payroll to fix it?
Reasonable internal follow-up can help, but do not let statutory or civil limitation periods expire while waiting.