Stat Holidays and Holiday Pay in Ontario 2024

In Ontario for the year 2024, there are 9 statutory holidays for provincially regulated employees, which cover approximately 90% of the workforce. Statutory holidays are also commonly known as public holidays and are officially recognized as such by the provincial government.

Most employees in Ontario have the right to take the day off on a statutory holiday and receive statutory holiday pay. In cases where an employee works on a statutory holiday, they are entitled to receive statutory holiday pay along with premium pay. Alternatively, they can opt to receive their regular wages for the hours worked on the public holiday, plus a substitute holiday for which they must be compensated with statutory holiday pay.

Failing to receive the correct statutory holiday pay and entitlements is considered a violation of the Ontario Employment Standards Act (ESA) and can result in fines and penalties. Your employer must have a statutory holiday policy outlining your holiday pay.

For federally regulated employees residing in Ontario, their entitlements are associated with federal public holidays, which may not always align with provincial public holidays.

9 Ontario Statutory Holidays in 2024 for Provincial Regulated Employees

In Ontario, there are nine public holidays that all employees should be aware of. It is the employer’s responsibility to provide employees with the appropriate statutory holiday entitlements and pay as defined by Ontario’s Employment Standards Act (ESA). Time off and compensation apply to the following statutory holidays in Ontario:

Holiday	2024	2025	2026
New Year’s Day	Monday, January 1, 2024	Wednesday, January 1, 2025	Thursday, January 1, 2026
Family Day	Monday, February 19, 2024	Monday, February 17, 2025	Monday, February 16, 2026
Good Friday	Friday, March 29, 2024	Friday, April 18, 2025	Friday, April 3, 2026
Victoria Day	Monday, May 20, 2024	Monday, May 19, 2025	Monday, May 25, 2026
Canada Day	Monday, July 1, 2024	Tuesday, July 1, 2025	Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Labour Day	Monday, September 2, 2024	Monday, September 1, 2025	Monday, September 7, 2026
Thanksgiving Day	Monday, October 14, 2024	Monday, October 13, 2025	Monday, October 12, 2026
Christmas Day	Wednesday, December 25, 2024	Thursday, December 25, 2025	Friday, December 25, 2026
Boxing Day	Thursday, December 26, 2024	Friday, December 26, 2025	Saturday, December 26, 2026

*Notably, Ontario is the only province in Canada where Boxing Day is a statutory holiday for provincially regulated employees.

Additional Notes for Ontario Employees:

Remembrance Day: (November 11, 2024) is not a statutory holiday for provincial employees in Ontario, although some employers still grant the day off.
Civic Holiday: (August 5, 2024, or the first Monday in August) is an optional holiday. Provincially regulated employers are not obliged to provide it as a day off, but many choose to do so voluntarily.

12 Statutory Holidays in 2024 for Federally Regulated Employees in Ontario

Federally regulated employees residing in Ontario are entitled to federal public holidays. These holidays may differ from provincial ones. The designated paid holidays for federal employees are:

Holiday	2024	2025	2026
New Year’s Day	Monday, January 1, 2024	Wednesday, January 1, 2025	Thursday, January 1, 2026
Good Friday	Friday, March 29, 2024	Friday, April 18, 2025	Friday, April 3, 2026
Easter Monday	Monday, April 1, 2024	Monday, April 21, 2025	Monday, April 6, 2026
Victoria Day	Monday, May 20, 2024	Monday, May 19, 2025	Monday, May 25, 2026
Canada Day	Monday, July 1, 2024	Tuesday, July 1, 2025	Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Labour Day	Monday, September 2, 2024	Monday, September 1, 2025	Monday, September 7, 2026
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation	Monday, September 30, 2024	Tuesday, September 30, 2025	Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Thanksgiving Day	Monday, October 14, 2024	Monday, October 13, 2025	Monday, October 12, 2026
Remembrance Day	Monday, November 11, 2024	Tuesday, November 11, 2025	Wednesday, November 11, 2026
Christmas Day	Wednesday, December 25, 2024	Thursday, December 25, 2025	Friday, December 25, 2026
Boxing Day	Thursday, December 26, 2024	Friday, December 26, 2025	Saturday, December 26, 2026

Provincial or civic holiday in the area of employment

Understanding Statutory Holiday Pay or Public Holiday Pay

Statutory Holiday Pay, often referred to as Holiday Pay, is what most employees receive for working on a statutory holiday. This is distinct from vacation pay, which has its own regulations in Ontario.

Eligibility for Statutory Holiday Pay or Holiday Pay

Not all employees in Ontario qualify for holiday pay. Eligibility is determined by the following criteria:

They fulfill the “Last and First Rule.”
They work their entire shift on the public holiday as agreed or required.

The “Last and First Rule” entails working both the last regularly scheduled day before and the first regularly scheduled day after the public holiday to qualify for public holiday pay. Even if an employee does not meet these criteria, they should still receive premium pay for the hours worked on a public holiday.

Understanding Premium Pay for Stat Holidays

Premium pay amounts to 1.5 times an employee’s regular rate for every hour worked on a public holiday.

Substitute Holidays

A substitute holiday is designated to replace a public holiday, typically when the public holiday coincides with an employee’s vacation period. The substitute holiday must be taken within three months of the original public holiday.

Special Rules for Certain Industries

Specific industries, including hotels, motels, tourist resorts, restaurants, taverns, hospitals, nursing homes, and continuous operations, have unique regulations concerning statutory holidays in Ontario. These rules determine how employees in these industries are compensated if they are required to work on a statutory holiday.

Stat Holiday Pay on Termination

Upon termination, employers are obligated to provide employees with their public holiday pay. This ensures that employees are compensated even if they couldn’t take their substitute holiday due to termination.

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