Key takeaways
- Ontario, Quebec and federal jobs: wages in the 4 weeks before the holiday divided by 20
- BC: wages in the 30 days before the holiday divided by the days you worked
- Alberta: wages in the 4 weeks before divided by the days you worked
- Manitoba and Saskatchewan: 5% of wages in the 4 weeks before (not overtime)
- If you work the holiday, most provinces add 1.5 times your rate for the hours worked
Holiday pay formula by province
| Jurisdiction | Paid holidays | Holiday pay formula |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 9 | (Regular wages + vacation pay payable in the 4 work weeks before the week of the holiday) ÷ 20 |
| British Columbia | 11 | Average day’s pay: wages in the 30 calendar days before ÷ days worked |
| Alberta | 9 | Average daily wage: wages in the 4 weeks before ÷ days worked |
| Quebec | 8 | 1/20 of wages in the 4 complete weeks of pay before the week of the holiday (no overtime) |
| Manitoba | 9 | One regular day’s pay; if hours vary, 5% of wages in the 4 weeks before (no overtime) |
| Saskatchewan | 10 | 5% of wages in the 28 days before (no overtime) |
| Federal jobs | 10 | 1/20 of wages in the 4 weeks before the week of the holiday (no overtime) |
Dividing 4 weeks of pay by 20 (or taking 5%) gives an average day’s pay for someone who works 5 days a week. If you work fewer days, your holiday pay is smaller.
Which days are statutory holidays?
- Ontario (9): New Year’s Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, Boxing Day.
- BC (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, Christmas Day. Easter Monday and Boxing Day are not statutory holidays in BC.
- Alberta (9): New Year’s Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day, Christmas Day.
- Manitoba (9): New Year’s Day, Louis Riel Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Orange Shirt Day), Thanksgiving, Christmas Day.
- Saskatchewan (10): New Year’s Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Saskatchewan Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day, Christmas Day.
- Federal jobs (10): New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day.
- Quebec (8): see the CNESST list. It includes June 24 (Fête nationale) and National Patriots’ Day.
What if you work on the holiday?
- Ontario: if you agree to work, you get either your regular pay plus a substitute paid day off, or holiday pay plus 1.5 times your rate for the hours worked.
- BC: 1.5 times your wage for the first 12 hours and double after 12 hours, plus an average day’s pay.
- Alberta: if it is a normal work day, either 1.5 times your wage plus your average daily wage, or your regular wage plus another day off with pay.
- Manitoba, Saskatchewan and federal jobs: 1.5 times your wage for hours worked, plus holiday pay.
- Quebec: the employer pays the holiday indemnity in addition to your wage, or gives you a paid day off instead.
Who qualifies
Most employees qualify, but there are conditions:
- BC: you must have been employed for 30 calendar days before the holiday and worked or earned wages on at least 15 of those days.
- Alberta: you do not qualify if you worked fewer than 30 days in the 12 months before the holiday, or missed your scheduled shift right before or after it without consent.
- Ontario and Manitoba: you generally lose holiday pay only if you miss your last scheduled shift before or first shift after the holiday without a good reason.
Worked example
In Ontario you earned $3,200 in the 4 weeks before Thanksgiving, with no vacation pay paid. Holiday pay = $3,200 ÷ 20 = $160. If you agree to work 8 hours at $20 an hour and choose premium pay, you get $160 + 8 × $30 = $400 for the day.
In BC, if you earned $3,200 in the 30 days before and worked 20 of those days, your average day’s pay is also $160. Working 8 hours adds 8 × $30 = $240.
Common questions
Do I get paid for a stat holiday if I am part-time?
Usually yes. The formulas are based on what you earned, so part-time workers get smaller but real holiday pay, as long as they meet the province’s conditions.
Is Easter Monday a statutory holiday?
Not in Ontario, BC, Alberta, Manitoba or Saskatchewan. In Quebec, employers give either Good Friday or Easter Monday. Federal jobs get Good Friday.
What if the holiday falls on my day off?
In Ontario you get a substitute day off with holiday pay. In BC and Alberta you may still get holiday pay if you qualify. Rules differ, so check your province.
Is Boxing Day a stat holiday?
In Ontario and in federally regulated jobs, yes. In BC, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Quebec it is not a statutory holiday under employment standards law.
Sources
- Ontario: ESA guide, public holidays
- BC: Statutory holidays
- Alberta: General holidays and general holiday pay
- CNESST: Statutory holidays
- Manitoba: General holidays fact sheet
- Saskatchewan: Paying employees for public holidays
- Saskatchewan: List of public holidays
- Government of Canada: Vacation and general holidays (federal)