How much vacation pay am I entitled to?

At least 4% of your gross wages (two weeks) everywhere in Canada. It rises to 6% (three weeks) after 3 years in Quebec, 5 years in Ontario, BC, Alberta, Manitoba, PEI, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, 8 years in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and 15 years in Newfoundland and Labrador. Saskatchewan pays 3/52 of wages (5.77%) rising to 4/52 after 10 years. Federally regulated employees get 8% after 10 years.

Is vacation pay paid on top of my salary?

For salaried employees it is usually built into continued pay while on vacation. For hourly and commission employees it is a separate percentage of wages, paid either each pay period or before the vacation. Either way the minimum is the percentage shown.

How is statutory holiday pay calculated?

It depends on the jurisdiction. Ontario, Quebec and federal employers pay the wages earned in the four weeks before the holiday divided by 20; BC pays the average day's wages over the previous 30 days; Alberta and the territories the average daily wage over four weeks; Saskatchewan and PEI 5% of the previous four weeks' wages; Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Yukon a regular day's pay.

What if I work on the holiday?

Most jurisdictions require holiday pay plus premium pay (usually 1.5 times) for hours worked, or a substitute day off with pay. Enter the hours you worked on the holiday and the calculator adds the premium for your province (regular pay in Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador, which have no 1.5 times rule).

Are managers covered?

Vacation pay generally applies to managers too; statutory holiday and overtime rules often exclude them. Some occupations (farm workers, some professionals, commission salespeople) have exemptions that vary by province.

What do I get if I work on a statutory holiday?

In most provinces, holiday pay plus 1.5 times your regular rate for the hours worked, or regular pay plus a substitute day off. BC pays 2.5 times after 12 hours. Quebec pays regular wages plus the holiday indemnity or a compensatory day, with no premium; Newfoundland and Labrador pays double or an extra day.

Do I qualify for holiday pay if I just started?

Depends on the province. Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have no minimum service; you just need to work your scheduled shifts before and after. BC requires 30 days of employment and 15 days worked in the previous 30; Alberta 30 days worked in the last 12 months; New Brunswick 90 days. The result states the rule for your province.

Do I get vacation pay when I quit or am let go?

Yes. Any vacation pay earned but not yet paid is owed on your final pay, in every jurisdiction, whether you quit or were let go. If your employer paid it on every cheque, only the unpaid portion is owed.

Vacation Pay and Statutory Holiday Pay Calculator by Province

Check the holiday pay you are owed for a statutory holiday in your province, what you should get if you worked that day, and whether you qualify, plus the vacation pay your employer must pay on your wages and what is still owed if some was already paid on your cheques.

Your holiday pay is$176.00$176.00 of public holiday pay (about 8 hours at your rate), calculated in Ontario as wages in the 4 weeks before the holiday ÷ 20.

Holiday pay $176

Wages in the 4 weeks before	$3,520.00
Public holiday pay (wages in the 4 weeks before the holiday ÷ 20)	$176.00

Do you qualify in Ontario? Work all of your last regularly scheduled shift before the holiday and your first one after it, unless you have reasonable cause. No minimum length of service. If you were paid less than this, the employment standards branch in your province handles complaints free of charge.

Show the math

Vacation pay is a minimum percentage of gross wages set by each province's employment standards law (Ontario: 4.00%, 6.00% after 5 years); many employers pay more, and salaried staff usually receive it as paid time off. Public holiday pay uses the provincial formula (wages in the 4 weeks before the holiday ÷ 20); when you work the holiday most provinces add 1.5× for the hours worked. The 4-week wages default to rate × shift hours × shifts and can be overridden. Overtime and tips are handled differently by province and are not modelled; managers, some professionals and some industries are exempt.

What you need to know for 2026

Minimum vacation pay is 4% of wages in every jurisdiction to start, rising to 6% after 3 years in Quebec, 5 years in Ontario, BC, Alberta, Manitoba, PEI and the territories, 8 years in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and 15 years in Newfoundland and Labrador; Saskatchewan pays 3/52 then 4/52, federally regulated workers reach 8% after 10 years.
Statutory holiday pay formulas differ: Ontario, Quebec and federal use wages in the previous 4 weeks ÷ 20; BC, Alberta and the territories use an average day's pay; Saskatchewan and PEI use 5% of the previous 4 weeks.
Vacation pay is owed on termination for any vacation earned but not taken, and is subject to income tax, CPP and EI like regular wages.
PEI's new Employment Standards Act took effect June 30, 2026, moving the 6% tier from 8 years to 5 and holiday pay to 5% of 4 weeks' wages.

If you were not paid what you are owed

Vacation and holiday pay are enforced by your province’s employment standards office, free of charge, usually within two years of the pay period.

Ask your employer in writing first, quoting the calculation; most underpayments are corrected at this step.
Ontario: file a claim with the Ministry of Labour online. Other provinces have the same process under their employment standards act.Ontario: filing an employment standards claim ↗
Federally regulated employers (banks, airlines, telecoms, rail): complain to the federal Labour Program instead.Federal labour standards ↗

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

How much vacation pay am I entitled to?: At least 4% of your gross wages (two weeks) everywhere in Canada. It rises to 6% (three weeks) after 3 years in Quebec, 5 years in Ontario, BC, Alberta, Manitoba, PEI, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, 8 years in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and 15 years in Newfoundland and Labrador. Saskatchewan pays 3/52 of wages (5.77%) rising to 4/52 after 10 years. Federally regulated employees get 8% after 10 years.
Is vacation pay paid on top of my salary?: For salaried employees it is usually built into continued pay while on vacation. For hourly and commission employees it is a separate percentage of wages, paid either each pay period or before the vacation. Either way the minimum is the percentage shown.
How is statutory holiday pay calculated?: It depends on the jurisdiction. Ontario, Quebec and federal employers pay the wages earned in the four weeks before the holiday divided by 20; BC pays the average day's wages over the previous 30 days; Alberta and the territories the average daily wage over four weeks; Saskatchewan and PEI 5% of the previous four weeks' wages; Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Yukon a regular day's pay.
What if I work on the holiday?: Most jurisdictions require holiday pay plus premium pay (usually 1.5 times) for hours worked, or a substitute day off with pay. Enter the hours you worked on the holiday and the calculator adds the premium for your province (regular pay in Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador, which have no 1.5 times rule).
Are managers covered?: Vacation pay generally applies to managers too; statutory holiday and overtime rules often exclude them. Some occupations (farm workers, some professionals, commission salespeople) have exemptions that vary by province.
What do I get if I work on a statutory holiday?: In most provinces, holiday pay plus 1.5 times your regular rate for the hours worked, or regular pay plus a substitute day off. BC pays 2.5 times after 12 hours. Quebec pays regular wages plus the holiday indemnity or a compensatory day, with no premium; Newfoundland and Labrador pays double or an extra day.
Do I qualify for holiday pay if I just started?: Depends on the province. Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have no minimum service; you just need to work your scheduled shifts before and after. BC requires 30 days of employment and 15 days worked in the previous 30; Alberta 30 days worked in the last 12 months; New Brunswick 90 days. The result states the rule for your province.
Do I get vacation pay when I quit or am let go?: Yes. Any vacation pay earned but not yet paid is owed on your final pay, in every jurisdiction, whether you quit or were let go. If your employer paid it on every cheque, only the unpaid portion is owed.

Full guide: how it works, a worked example, every rule and every source Read the guide →

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from one of these primary sources. Data last verified September 7, 2026.

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Data verified for tax year 2026: September 7, 2026 Updated September 7, 2026 By Nishant Malik, founder of GlassLayer