Calculates your pay for a statutory holiday in Canada based on your province, wages, and work schedule. For employees and employers.
Result
Your total pay for the statutory holiday. This includes your base entitlement, regular wages for hours worked, and any premium pay.
Fill in the details to see the result.
Indicative result, calculated from the details and the rules listed below. It does not replace an official calculation or advice from a professional.
With the result already worked out, you can fill in the document right away.
In Canada, employees are entitled to paid time off for statutory holidays (often called "stat holidays") like Christmas Day or Canada Day. The specific rules, including which holidays are recognized and how pay is calculated, are set by each province and territory. This calculator helps you determine your entitlement based on your location and work history.
Most provinces use one of two main methods to calculate your pay for a day off on a statutory holiday:
If you work on the statutory holiday, you are generally entitled to three components: 1) Your base holiday pay for the day (calculated as above), 2) Your regular wages for the hours you worked, and 3) A premium (e.g., time-and-a-half) for the hours you actually worked on the holiday itself. Some provinces, like Nova Scotia, do not mandate a premium by law, but you still receive components 1 and 2.
Maria works in Ontario. In the 4 weeks before Christmas Day, she earned $4,000 and had 20 days for which she earned wages (including a paid vacation day). She has Christmas Day off.
If Maria had worked 4 hours on Christmas Day at her regular rate of $25/hour:
Part-time employees: You are generally entitled to statutory holiday pay if you meet your province's eligibility criteria (e.g., worked a certain number of days in a preceding period). The calculation uses your actual wages and days for which wages were earned.
New employees: You must meet the eligibility criteria in your province, which usually involves a short period of employment before the holiday.
Vacation or sick leave: Days you are on paid vacation or sick leave count as days for which wages were earned, and the pay you received counts towards your total wages. This is important for the average daily wage method.
Clear communication of statutory holiday entitlements is key for employers. Consider using an Employee Handbook to outline your company's policies on public holidays, overtime, and pay schedules. This ensures all employees understand their rights and your procedures, helping to avoid disputes.
Yes, in most provinces, part-time employees are entitled to statutory holiday pay if they meet certain conditions, such as having earned wages on a minimum number of days in the period leading up to the holiday. The calculator accounts for your actual days and wages.
If you were on paid vacation, those days and the vacation pay you received are included in the calculation of your total wages and count as days for which wages were earned. This can affect your average daily wage.
When a statutory holiday falls on a non-working day (like a Saturday or Sunday), most provinces designate another day (often the following Monday) as the "observed" holiday for pay and time-off purposes. Your entitlement is for the observed holiday.
If you are a salaried employee, your holiday pay is typically already included in your salary for days you are not required to work. If you are required to work on the holiday, you are generally still entitled to premium pay for the hours worked or a substitute day off with pay, depending on your province and employment agreement.
Base holiday pay is your pay for the day off. Regular wages are what you earn for hours worked on any day, including the holiday. Premium pay is the extra amount you earn (e.g., time-and-a-half) for each hour you actually work on the holiday itself. You can be entitled to all three if you work on the holiday.
Different provinces use different calculation periods. Ontario and Quebec use a 4-week (28-day) period. Most other provinces use a 30-calendar-day period. Selecting the correct one ensures the right formula is applied.
