Canadian statutory holiday pay calculations and date tracking can be tricky, especially when it varies from province to province! Don't worry, we have you covered.
In this guide we will cover the 2024 stat holidays, and we will break down holiday pay for British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario!
General holidays, also known as statutory holidays, are fun — for the most part. They’re occasions for family and friends to come together to celebrate; and they usually consist of a big holiday meal, which means that they can be a busy and stressful time for restaurant and catering businesses. To make matters more difficult, statutory holiday eligibility rules and calculations vary from province to province.
As payroll experts, our team here wants to make holiday calculations easier for you and your team. We’ve put together a quick guide on everything you need to know about statutory holiday calculations. In this guide we will cover federal holidays, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario. Let's get started!
There are 4 federal holidays observed by all provinces and territories in Canada, with an additional holiday, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, for federally regulated workplaces. Easter weekend includes an additional holiday for the country. Quebec observes Easter Monday, while the rest of the country observes Good Friday.
Here is a breakdown of the 6 federally observed stat holidays in Canada:
* National holiday, except Quebec
** National holiday for federally regulated workplaces only
British Columbia observes ten statutory holidays throughout the year where employees are eligible to be off work with statutory holiday pay, or they can work and receive premium pay plus statutory holiday pay.
*If Canada Day falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be observed as the statutory holiday.
First, who is eligible? For normal non-union environments, employees:
1. Must be employed for at least 30 days prior to the statutory holiday, and
2. Have worked at least 15 out of 30 days, preceding the holiday.
However, if an employee is working under an averaging agreement or variance at anytime before the 30 days prior to the holiday, they are not required to meet the 15 day requirement. Eligible employees (who work 15 out of the last 30 days preceding the holiday) are entitled to general statutory pay, which is equivalent to an average day’s pay.
For those who do not qualify for statutory holiday pay, but work on a statutory holiday, they will be paid their regular earnings, without any additional pay. If the employee was not scheduled to work in the last pay period (0 days worked & $0 regular wages), the employee’s general holiday pay entitlement will be $0.
Want to learn more about who qualifies?
Alberta observes nine statutory holidays throughout the year where employees are eligible to be off work with statutory holiday pay, or work with statutory holiday pay or time off in lieu.
*If Canada Day falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be observed as the statutory holiday.
To understand how to pay your employees, you must first learn who is eligible. To learn everything about Alberta stat holiday rules check out the full article here.
High level, here are the qualifiers:
If an employee works on a stat holiday and the stat falls on their regular workday, they are entitled to one of two options.
If an employee does not work on a stat holiday, they are only eligible for general holiday pay. If an employee does not work on a stat holiday and the stat does not fall on their regular day of work, they are only eligible for their hours worked x 1.5.
Saskatchewan observes ten statutory holidays throughout the year where employees are eligible to be off work with statutory holiday pay, or they can work with statutory holiday pay or time off in lieu. Read on to find out the ins and outs of the statutory holidays, how to calculate employee holiday pay, and other rules you might not be aware of.
If you haven't noticed already, different provinces can have drastically different statutory holiday rules. In Saskatchewan, everyone is eligible for general holiday pay! The following holidays are observed as statutory holidays:
*If Canada Day falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be observed as the statutory holiday.
Stat holiday average pay is calculated by taking an employee's wage (including commissions and vacation pay, but excluding overtime pay, bonuses, and tips),earned in the four week period (28 days) prior to the holiday and multiplying it by 5% (0.05).
Again, all employees are eligible for stat pay even if they don't work the holiday. However, their statutory holiday pay must be paid in the same pay period that the holiday lands in.
Manitoba observes nine statutory holidays throughout the year where employees are eligible to be off work with statutory holiday pay, or they can work with statutory holiday pay or time off in lieu. Read on to find out the ins and outs of the statutory holidays, how to calculate employee holiday pay, and other rules you might not be aware of.
Manitoba observes the following 8 general holidays:
*If Canada Day falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be observed as the statutory holiday.
**Most industries are not allowed to operate on Remembrance Day, but restaurants are an exception. It is not a requirement to pay all employees regular stat pay. Only eligible employees who work the holiday are entitled to at least half of a normal work day at 1.5x their regular wage. In addition, they are also entitled to general holiday pay of an average day's wage or 5% of their gross earnings in the 28 days preceding the holiday.
Long story short, all employees are eligible for statutory holiday pay unless:
*without the employer's permission.
Those who consistently work the same amount of hours on a weekly basis receive a regular day of pay.
For employees who work hours that vary, their general holiday pay is calculated at 5% of their wages over the course of 4 weeks, preceding the Stat Holiday. For eligible employees that work their scheduled shift on the actual day of the stat holiday, they are also entitled to premium pay of 1.5 x their hourly wage. However, they must also attend their scheduled shifts before and after the holiday.
Alternatively, if employees receive regular wages on the holiday, they will be provided with a day off with general holiday pay (within the next 30 days) in return. If there is an agreement between the employee and employer, employees may also choose to take their day off at a later date.
We know, it's a lot, so we created a guide and article with helpful examples!
Ontario observes nine statutory holidays throughout the year where employees are eligible to be off work with statutory holiday pay, or they can work with statutory holiday pay or time off in lieu. Read on to find out the ins and outs of the statutory holidays, how to calculate employee holiday pay and other rules you might not be aware of.
Ontario's statutory holiday rules have been amended as of January 1st, 2018. Though employee eligibility has remained the same, the method of Ontario's stat pay calculations has been changed. Below, you'll find everything you need to know about Ontario's statutory holiday rules.
Did you know? Ontario is the only province in Canada where Boxing Day (December 26) qualifies as a statutory holiday! Here are the rest of the holidays:
*If Canada Day Falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be observed as the statutory holiday.
To be eligible for stat holiday pay in Ontario, employees simply have to follow the "first and last" rule - there are no restrictions on how long an employee has worked an employer. Employees must work their last scheduled shift before the stat holiday, and the first scheduled shift after the stat holiday, unless they have permissions to miss their shift due to reasonable cause or have their employer's consent.
As of July 1st 2018, the method of general statutory pay has been amended. The new calculation will be reverted to how it was calculated previously. The calculation is as follows:
The four weeks before the public holiday is based on the employer’s work week. For example, instead of a Monday to Sunday work week, it could be a Sunday to Saturday work week.
Can you imagine how much time you would save if you could automate your holiday pay calculations? Well you can.
Push Operations has created smart software that integrates with your staffing back end to automatically calculate stat holiday pay while scheduling, and paying staff. Payroll is done, and so are holiday pay calculations at the click of a button.
For further information on automating statutory holiday pay calculations connect with a helpful team member at Push today.
This document is provided by Push Technologies Inc. ("Push Operations") for information purposes only. This is not an official or legal document and should not be taken as legal advice. Push Operations does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information provided. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, please check with the proper governing authority.
“In the labor numbers, we were reporting about a $300 to $400 difference than what we were getting through Push!”
-Tara Hardie, ZZA Hospitality Group, 16 locations
