If you’re a working citizen in Canada, you’re probably familiar with stat holidays. However, if you’ve just moved there or you’re from another country and are wondering what it all means, the information below may shed some light on the subject.
- There are many of these holidays, but only five that apply to all jurisdictions in Canada. New Year’s Day, Labour Day, Christmas Day, Good Friday, and Canada Day are all holidays that every Canadian employee can usually count on having off from work. Unfortunately, if your employer requests that you do come in on one of these days, and you refuse, you’re not immune to being reprimanded.
- The government designated these days as special days to be commemorated by all who wish to do so. Nevertheless, in order to qualify for a holiday off with pay, you have to have been employed at the same job for at least one month in most provinces. Some employers require that you be employed with them for three months.
- If a paid holiday happens to fall on a day that is not normally worked anyway, most places will substitute a different day. This means you’re still likely to get a paid day off at some point during the week. If one decides to forfeit his or her holiday and go into work, normal wage plus a premium wage and time and a half will be paid. Some businesses, however, are completely closed down. So going into work on one of these days isn’t possible anyway.
- Trying to figure out which paid days off apply to you can be pretty confusing. The rules are basically the same as they are in the United States, but the occasions celebrated vary from province to province. There are a few special days that a lot of Canadians would like to have deemed stat holidays. Whether they make the list remains to be seen.
