Everyday money · guide

Vacation and stat pay in 2026: how it works, with a worked example

Verified for tax year 2026: Updated By Nishant Malik

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.

Open the vacation and stat pay calculator

How this calculator works

Vacation pay is a percentage of gross wages set by each jurisdiction’s employment standards law, rising with years of service. The calculator picks the tier for your years with the employer and applies it to your wages.

Statutory holiday pay uses each jurisdiction’s own formula, which is why the inputs change when you switch provinces: some average recent wages over four weeks or 30 days, some pay 5% of four weeks’ wages, and some simply pay a regular day.

Vacation pay minimums by jurisdiction

JurisdictionStarting rateHigher tiers
| British Columbia | 4% | 6% after 5 years | | Alberta | 4% | 6% after 5 years | | Saskatchewan | 5.77% | 7.69% after 10 years | | Manitoba | 4% | 6% after 5 years | | Ontario | 4% | 6% after 5 years | | Quebec | 4% | 6% after 3 years | | New Brunswick | 4% | 6% after 8 years | | Nova Scotia | 4% | 6% after 8 years | | Prince Edward Island | 4% | 6% after 5 years | | Newfoundland and Labrador | 4% | 6% after 15 years | | Yukon | 4% | none | | Northwest Territories | 4% | 6% after 5 years | | Nunavut | 4% | 6% after 5 years | | Federally regulated (Canada Labour Code) | 4% | 6% after 5 years; 8% after 10 years |

Worked example: Ontario, 6 years of service, $60,000 wages

Vacation pay: 6% × $60,000 = $3,600.00 (three weeks). Statutory holiday pay: $4,600 earned in the four weeks before the holiday ÷ 20 = $230.00.

Assumptions

  • Statutory minimums only; your contract or collective agreement may be better.
  • Exempt occupations and part-time eligibility rules are not checked.

Questions people ask

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. The calculator shows the base holiday pay only.
Do I get vacation pay when I quit or am let go?
Yes. Vacation pay earned but not yet paid must be included in your final pay in every jurisdiction.
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.
How is statutory holiday pay calculated?
Each province has a formula. Ontario and Quebec: wages in the four weeks before the holiday divided by 20. BC: average daily wage over the 30 days before. Alberta: average daily wage over the four weeks before. Saskatchewan and PEI: 5% of the four weeks' wages. The calculator applies the formula for your province and shows the hours equivalent.
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.
Does vacation pay have to be paid out when I quit?
Yes. Any vacation pay earned but not yet paid is owed on your final pay, in every province, whether you quit or were let go. If your employer paid it on every cheque, only the unpaid portion is owed.

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.

  2. Ontario: filing an employment standards claim ↗
  3. Federal labour standards ↗

Try it with your own numbers →