Stat holiday pay in Canada
Who qualifies, how much you get, and what you earn if you work the day, for every province, territory and federally regulated workplace.
Last checked against official government sources on . Sources
Ontario
Employment Standards Act, 2000 · Ontario stat holiday dates →
- Who qualifies
- No minimum length of service; full-time, part-time, permanent and fixed-term employees qualify unless, without reasonable cause, they miss their last regularly scheduled day of work before or first after the holiday (last and first rule), or miss their entire shift on the holiday after agreeing or being required to work it.
- How much you get paid
- Regular wages earned in the 4 work weeks before the work week containing the holiday, plus vacation pay payable for those weeks, divided by 20; overtime, premium pay and public holiday pay are excluded from regular wages.
- If you work the holiday
- Only with the employee's written or electronic agreement: either regular wages for hours worked plus a substitute day off paid at public holiday pay (scheduled within 3 months, or up to 12 months with agreement), or public holiday pay plus premium pay of 1.5 times the regular rate for all hours worked.
Source: Government of Ontario
British Columbia
Employment Standards Act · British Columbia stat holiday dates →
- Who qualifies
- Employed for 30 calendar days before the holiday and worked or earned wages on 15 of the 30 days before it (paid vacation and other statutory holidays count); there is no work-the-day-before-and-after rule in B.C.
- How much you get paid
- An average day's pay: total wages divided by number of days worked in the 30 calendar days before the statutory holiday, excluding overtime.
- If you work the holiday
- Time-and-a-half for hours worked on the holiday and double-time for hours over 12, plus an average day's pay for qualifying employees; employees who do not qualify get regular pay for hours worked.
Source: Government of British Columbia
Alberta
Employment Standards Code · Alberta stat holiday dates →
- Who qualifies
- Worked for the same employer for at least 30 workdays in the 12 months before the holiday and not absent without consent on the last scheduled day before or first scheduled day after; holiday pay on a day off applies only if the holiday falls on a regular day of work (5 of 9 rule: worked that weekday at least 5 times in the previous 9 weeks).
- How much you get paid
- Average daily wage: wages divided by number of days worked, using either the 4 weeks before the holiday or the 4 weeks ending on the last day of the prior pay period; overtime pay is excluded.
- If you work the holiday
- On a regular workday, the employer chooses either (1) 1.5 times regular earnings for hours worked plus the average daily wage, or (2) regular earnings for hours worked plus a future day off paid at the average daily wage. On a day that is not a regular workday, 1.5 times regular earnings for hours worked only.
Source: Government of Alberta
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan Employment Act · Saskatchewan stat holiday dates →
- Who qualifies
- All employees qualify, including new employees with less than four weeks of service; employees whose employment ends before the holiday do not receive pay for it.
- How much you get paid
- 5% of wages earned in the 28 days (4 weeks) before the holiday, including vacation pay for vacation taken in that period and excluding overtime; hourly construction employees instead get 4% of wages earned in the calendar year (excluding overtime and vacation pay), paid by December 31 or within 14 days of termination.
- If you work the holiday
- 1.5 times the regular hourly rate for all hours worked, in addition to the regular public holiday pay.
Source: Government of Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Employment Standards Code · Manitoba stat holiday dates →
- Who qualifies
- Nearly all employees regardless of length of service, except those absent without permission when scheduled to work the holiday or on the last scheduled workday before or first after it (and certain temporary Elections Act appointees).
- How much you get paid
- One regular workday's pay for employees with consistent hours; otherwise 5% of gross wages (excluding overtime) earned in the 4 weeks before the holiday; construction employees get 4% of gross earnings.
- If you work the holiday
- Normally 1.5 times the regular rate for hours worked plus general holiday pay; certain industries (e.g. hospitals, hotels, restaurants, gas stations, continuous operations) may instead pay regular wages and give another paid day off, generally within 30 days.
Source: Government of Manitoba
Quebec
Act respecting labour standards (CNESST) · Quebec stat holiday dates →
- Who qualifies
- You are not entitled to the holiday indemnity if you are absent from work, without your employer’s authorization or without a valid reason, on the working day before or after the holiday. For June 24 (Fête nationale), being employed on that date is enough.
- How much you get paid
- 1/20 of wages earned (excluding overtime) during the 4 complete weeks of pay before the week of the holiday; commission workers get 1/60 of wages for the 12 complete weeks, and reported or attributed tips are included.
- If you work the holiday
- Regular wages for the day worked plus, at the employer's choice, either the statutory holiday indemnity or a compensatory day off paid the same as the indemnity, taken within 3 weeks before or after the holiday (special rules for June 24).
Source: Government of Quebec
New Brunswick
Employment Standards Act · New Brunswick stat holiday dates →
- Who qualifies
- Employed at least 90 calendar days in the 12 months before the holiday and worked the regular scheduled day before and after it (not necessarily immediately before or after).
- How much you get paid
- A regular day's pay; where wages vary, an average day's pay based on all hours worked (excluding overtime) in the 30 days before the holiday. An employer may instead pay an extra 4% of gross wages from the first day of employment.
- If you work the holiday
- Regular day's pay plus 1.5 times regular wages for each hour worked on the holiday.
Source: Government of New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Labour Standards Code · Nova Scotia stat holiday dates →
- Who qualifies
- Entitled to pay for at least 15 of the 30 calendar days before the holiday and worked the last scheduled shift before and first scheduled shift after it (unless told by the employer not to report).
- How much you get paid
- A regular day's pay; where hours vary, averaged over the 30 days before the holiday (e.g. total hours or pay, including commissions, divided by days worked).
- If you work the holiday
- A regular or average day's pay plus 1.5 times the regular rate for hours worked on the holiday; continuous operations may instead pay straight time and give another paid day off.
Source: Government of Nova Scotia
Prince Edward Island
Employment Standards Act · Prince Edward Island stat holiday dates →
- Who qualifies
- No minimum length of service. You lose holiday pay only if you miss both your last scheduled shift before the holiday and your first scheduled shift after it without permission or a valid reason, or if you were asked to work the holiday and chose not to.
- How much you get paid
- 5% of your regular wages earned in the four weeks before the holiday, excluding overtime and including any vacation pay or other holiday pay received in that period.
- If you work the holiday
- Either 1.5 times your regular rate for hours worked plus holiday pay, or your regular wage plus a paid day off on another agreed date taken before your next vacation. If a holiday falls on your day off, you get a paid day off on another day.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Labour Standards Act · Newfoundland and Labrador stat holiday dates →
- Who qualifies
- Employed by the employer for at least 30 calendar days before the paid holiday and worked the scheduled shift before and after it.
- How much you get paid
- Hourly rate multiplied by the average number of hours worked in a day, based on the three weeks immediately before the holiday.
- If you work the holiday
- Twice the regular rate for hours worked, or regular wages plus an additional paid day off within 30 days or an added vacation day; no qualifiers are required for this. If you work fewer hours than usual on the holiday, you get your regular rate for those hours plus a regular day’s pay.
Yukon
Employment Standards Act · Yukon stat holiday dates →
- Who qualifies
- Completed 30 calendar days of employment before the holiday, worked the scheduled shift before and after it, worked or earned wages in the two-week period before it, and reports to work on the holiday if scheduled.
- How much you get paid
- Full salary for salaried employees; at least daily earnings for daily or hourly employees; average daily wage (excluding overtime and bonus) for commission employees; irregular or less-than-standard-hours employees get at least 10% of wages for hours worked in the two weeks before the holiday week.
- If you work the holiday
- Either the applicable overtime rate for all hours worked on the holiday, or the regular rate for hours worked plus a day off with pay (added to vacation or on an agreed date).
Source: Government of Yukon
Northwest Territories
Employment Standards Act · Northwest Territories stat holiday dates →
- Who qualifies
- Worked for the employer for 30 days within the 12 months before the holiday and reported to work on the last scheduled day before and next scheduled day after it; part-time employees qualify if they meet these conditions. You are not paid if you were scheduled to work the holiday and did not report, or while on certain leaves (such as pregnancy, parental, compassionate, family caregiver or reservist leave) under section 23 of the Employment Standards Act.
- How much you get paid
- At least the wages you would have earned at your regular rate for your normal hours. For commission or other pay bases, at least your average daily wage over the four weeks worked before the week of the holiday.
- If you work the holiday
- Holiday pay plus either 1.5 times your rate for hours worked on the holiday, or a substitute paid holiday at a time convenient to both, no later than your next annual vacation or the end of employment.
Federally regulated workplaces
Canada Labour Code · Federal stat holiday dates →
- Who qualifies
- No minimum length of service (the former 30-day requirement was removed in 2019). Employees of federally regulated employers get 10 paid general holidays.
- How much you get paid
- At least 1/20 of wages (excluding overtime) earned in the 4 weeks before the week of the holiday; commission employees with 12 or more weeks of continuous employment get 1/60 of wages in the 12 weeks before the holiday week.
- If you work the holiday
- At least 1.5 times the regular rate for time worked plus general holiday pay; managers and professionals get regular pay plus a substitute paid holiday; continuous operations may instead pay regular rate plus a paid holiday at another time.
Source: Government of Canada
Frequently asked
How is stat holiday pay calculated in Ontario?
Regular wages earned in the 4 work weeks before the work week containing the holiday, plus vacation pay payable for those weeks, divided by 20; overtime, premium pay and public holiday pay are excluded from regular wages.
Do you get paid more for working on a stat holiday in Canada?
Usually yes. Most provinces pay 1.5 times your regular rate for hours worked on a statutory holiday plus your holiday pay, or regular pay plus a substitute paid day off. Newfoundland and Labrador pays double time. The exact rule depends on your province or territory, listed above.
Do part-time workers get stat holiday pay?
In most of Canada, yes, if they meet the eligibility rules for their province or territory. Pay is usually based on an average of what they earned in the weeks before the holiday, so part-time workers get a proportional amount.
Do new employees get stat holiday pay?
It depends on where you work. Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and federally regulated workplaces have no minimum length of service. British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon and the Northwest Territories require about 30 days of employment, Alberta 30 workdays and Nunavut 30 days in the past year. Nova Scotia requires that you were entitled to pay on at least 15 of the 30 days before the holiday, and New Brunswick requires 90 days.
Do federally regulated employees follow provincial stat holiday pay rules?
No. Banks, airlines, telecom, railways, interprovincial trucking and other federally regulated employers follow the Canada Labour Code: at least 1/20 of wages earned in the 4 weeks before the holiday week, and 1.5 times the regular rate plus holiday pay for working it.
This page is a plain-language guide, not legal advice. Some industries and roles have different rules, and a collective agreement or employment contract can give you more. For a specific situation, contact your province's employment standards office.