Holidays in the federal sector

If you work in a federally regulated workplace, such as a bank, airline, railway, telecom or interprovincial trucking company, the Canada Labour Code sets your holidays. There are 10 general holidays.

Choosing federal rules

In Jobs, tap your job and set Labour rules to Federal (federally regulated). Keep Province for tax set to the province you work in, since you still pay provincial tax.

The holidays

• New Year’s Day: January 1
• Good Friday
• Victoria Day: the Monday before May 25
• Canada Day: July 1, or July 2 when July 1 is a Sunday
• Labour Day: first Monday in September
• National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: September 30
• Thanksgiving Day: second Monday in October
• Remembrance Day: November 11
• Christmas Day: December 25
• Boxing Day: December 26

Who qualifies

Everyone. There’s no waiting period and nothing to answer about qualifying.

Holidays on a weekend

When New Year’s Day, Canada Day, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Remembrance Day, Christmas Day or Boxing Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday you don’t work, you get the working day just before or just after it as the holiday instead.

For Paycheq to move these holidays, set your regular work days:

1. Open Jobs and tap your job.
2. Under Labour rules, tap the days you usually work under Regular work days.
3. Tap Save.

The Code doesn’t say whether it’s the day before or the day after, so the holiday’s card asks which day you got off. Until you answer, Paycheq shows the day after. The card says “Moved from Saturday” or “Moved from Sunday”.

When two holidays fall on the same weekend, such as Christmas on a Saturday and Boxing Day on a Sunday, they move to two different working days.

How much

One-twentieth of your wages, not counting overtime, in the 4 weeks before the week of the holiday.

If you work on the holiday

You’re paid 1.5× for the hours you work, plus your holiday pay. Hours paid at 1.5× on a holiday don’t count toward overtime. If the holiday moved off a weekend, this applies to the day it moved to.

If it’s your day off

Your employer gives you another day off with pay. Paycheq counts the holiday pay on the holiday itself.

Estimates only. Not legal advice. The Labour Program has the official rules.