Canadian Stat Holiday Pay Calculator
Four different formulas across 14 jurisdictions. Pick your province and the calculator uses the right one.
Inputs
Calculator handles the most common case: a single stat holiday, with the employee qualifying for stat pay under the jurisdiction's ESA qualification rules.
Stat holiday pay
$250.00
What the employee is entitled to regardless of whether they work the holiday — if they meet the qualification rules in Ontario.
Ontario formula
(Regular wages + vacation pay in 4 workweeks before) ÷ 20
1.5× regular rate for hours worked on the holiday, in addition to stat pay. Or regular pay for hours worked plus a substitute day off with stat pay.
- — For a salaried employee, this works out to annual salary ÷ 260 working days (1/20 of 4 weeks).
Source: Employment Standards Act, 2000, s. 24
Qualification still matters
Most provinces require the employee to have worked their last scheduled shift before the holiday and their next scheduled shift after, and in some cases (e.g. Alberta) to have been employed for 30 days in the previous 12 months. This calculator assumes qualification — confirm against your provincial ESA before issuing pay.
Four formulas, thirteen jurisdictions
Canadian stat holiday pay is one of those areas where the math looks deceptively similar but the rules are genuinely different. Ontario, Quebec, Yukon, and federally regulated employers use the 1/20 rule (1/20 of wages earned in the 4 workweeks before the holiday). Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba use a 5% rule on the same lookback. British Columbia uses an average-day rule — total wages in the last 30 days divided by days actually worked. New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland, NWT, and Nunavut pay a regular day's payat the employee's normal rate.
For a salaried full-time employee, all four formulas produce roughly the same number. The differences bite for hourly employees with variable hours, part-timers, employees on leave, and anyone who earned overtime or vacation pay during the lookback window. That is where payroll software either gets it right automatically or where a spreadsheet starts underpaying people.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate statutory holiday pay in Canada?
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The formula depends on the employee's province of work. Ontario, Quebec, Yukon, and federally regulated employers use 1/20 of wages earned in the 4 workweeks before the holiday. Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba use 5% of wages earned in the 4 weeks before. British Columbia divides total wages in the last 30 days by days actually worked. The Atlantic provinces and the territories pay a regular day's pay at the employee's normal rate. This calculator applies the correct formula automatically once you select the jurisdiction.
Do employees have to work to qualify for stat holiday pay?
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Yes and no. Employees do not have to work the stat holiday itself — they get stat pay even when they are off — but they do have to meet qualification rules. Most provinces require the employee to have worked their last scheduled shift before the holiday and their next scheduled shift after (the "last and first" rule). Some also require a minimum period of employment: Alberta requires 30 days in the previous 12 months, for instance. Salaried employees on vacation or paid leave still qualify in most jurisdictions.
What is the premium rate if an employee works the holiday?
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Most Canadian jurisdictions require 1.5× the regular rate for hours worked on a stat holiday, in addition to the stat holiday pay itself. British Columbia requires 1.5× for the first 12 hours and 2× after. Newfoundland requires 2× throughout. Quebec handles it differently: the employee is paid normally for hours worked and then either receives stat pay separately or a compensatory day off within 3 weeks.
Why does Saskatchewan use 5% instead of a round rate?
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The 5% formula (wages in the last 4 weeks × 5%) is used by Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. For a salaried full-time employee, 5% of 4 weeks of wages works out to roughly the same as a regular day's pay — so for that group the result is similar whether the province uses 5% or 1/20 or a regular day. The formula matters more for hourly employees with variable hours, where the percentage approach pulls in average earnings rather than a fixed scheduled shift.
Can an employer give a substitute day off instead of stat pay?
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Yes, in most provinces, but the rules vary. In Ontario and Alberta, employees who work the stat can receive their regular wages for hours worked plus a substitute day off with stat pay, instead of stat pay plus premium. In Quebec, the employer picks between paying stat pay or granting a compensatory day within 3 weeks. The substitute day must typically be scheduled in writing in advance — not offered after the fact.
If you run this math eleven times a year, you need payroll software.
Hibiscus HR knows every province's stat holiday list, applies the right pay formula automatically, handles qualification rules, and flags when an employee is eligible for substitute-day-off treatment. All while keeping an audit trail.