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- Ontario Stat Holidays 2025: A Quick Guide for Employers
Ontario Stat Holidays 2025: A Quick Guide for Employers
- Stat Holidays & Pay
Kiljon Shukullari, HR Advisory Manager
(Last updated )
Kiljon Shukullari, HR Advisory Manager
(Last updated )
Public holidays or statutory holidays are days set aside to observe special occasions. There are nine statutory holidays in Ontario. Most employees are entitled to take the day off on a statutory holiday and receive stat holiday pay. Employees who work on a public holiday are entitled to stat holiday pay plus premium pay OR they can opt to receive their regular wages for all hours worked on the public holiday plus a substitute holiday for which they must be paid public holiday pay.
Not paying your employees the correct stat holiday pay and entitlements is a violation of the Ontario Employment Standards Act (ESA) and can lead to fines and penalties. It is important that you have a stat holiday policy to correctly manage public holiday pay.
This blog provides information on Ontario statutory holidays in 2025, stat holiday pay eligibility, and how to correctly calculate stat holiday pay and premium pay.
9 Ontario Statutory Holidays in 2025 Applicable to Employers
In Ontario, there are nine public holidays that employees are entitled to. It is an employer’s obligation to provide employees with the appropriate
statutory holiday
entitlement and pay, as defined by the
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Employment Standards Act (ESA)
. Time off and compensation are applicable to the following statutory holidays in Ontario:
Optional public holidays
In addition to these nine holidays, employers in Ontario should also be aware of the following optional holidays:
Remembrance Day (November 11, 2025)
Civic Holiday (August 4, 2025, or the first Monday in August).
Remembrance Day is not a statutory holiday in Ontario
, which is controversial, and some employers still give employees the day off.
Civic Holiday is an optional holiday
and provincially regulated employers are not required to give it off, although many do. It is also important that employers know that Ontario is the only province where Boxing Day is a statutory holiday, which may cause confusion for nationwide companies.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a Federal stat holiday, which means federally regulated workplaces like banks, radio stations, postal services, will be closed on September 30. But it is not a public holiday in Ontario for provincially regulated workplaces.
Get expert advice on stat holiday pay with Peninsula
Exactly what type of stat holiday pay your employees are entitled to differs for each province. Ask Peninsula for a stat holiday pay and entitlement policy that’s custom-tailored to your business. Our experts can assist you with company policies, and with any other HR, health & safety, or
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employee management advice
you may need. To learn more about how our services can benefit your business, call an expert today at
1 (833) 247-3652.
Who is eligible for stat holiday pay in Ontario?
An employee is generally entitled to take all statutory holidays off work and be paid public holiday pay. Most employees qualify for stat holiday pay if their workplace is covered by the Ontario Employment Standards Act and they meet the requirements of ‘the first and last rule’. Qualified employees can be full-time, part-time, permanent or on a term contract, as it does not matter how recently they were hired.
What is the first and last rule?
An employee is eligible for stat holiday pay in Ontario if they have worked their last regularly scheduled shift before the stat holiday and the first one after it, or they have reasonable cause for not working either of those days (such as permission from the employer).
How is statutory holiday pay calculated in Ontario?
Stat holiday pay in Ontario is calculated by adding all of the employee’s regular wages earned in the four work weeks prior to the public holiday plus all of the vacation pay payable with respect to the four work weeks prior to the public holiday, divided by 20.
The
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Ontario government provides a self-service holiday pay calculator
to help employers estimate employee entitlement.
How will I know when to include vacation pay in calculating stat holiday pay?
That depends on whether the employee was on vacation at any time during the four work weeks prior to the public holiday and the way an employer chooses to pay vacation pay. If the employee was not on vacation during that four-week period, no vacation pay will be included in the calculation.
If the employee is paid vacation pay with every pay cheque, the amount of vacation pay included in the calculation of stat holiday pay will be at least 4% of all of the employee’s wages earned during the four workweek period. Unless an employee earns a higher percentage of vacation pay, such as 6% of wages. In that case, the vacation pay payable will be based on that higher percentage.
However, if the employee receives their vacation pay in a lump sum on a certain date or dates, vacation pay will be included in the calculation of public holiday pay ONLY if that date or dates falls during the relevant four work week period.
What is substitute holiday pay?
If an employee agrees to work on a statutory public holiday with written consent, compensation can be made as regular wage pay for all hours worked on a public holiday; this allows another day off in lieu, with holiday pay. Please note that a
substitute holiday must be taken within three months
of the public holiday for which it was earned. If the employee consents electronically or in writing, the substitute holiday can be scheduled up to 12 months after the public holiday.
If the employee takes a substitute holiday, the employer must provide the employee with a written statement that sets out the public holiday that is being substituted, the date of the substitute holiday, and the date that the statement was issued to the employee. This statement must be provided to the employee before the public holiday.
What is premium pay and how is it calculated?
If an employee agrees to work on a statutory public holiday with written consent, compensation can be made as holiday pay plus premium pay for all hours worked on the public holiday; this does not allow another day off.
Premium pay is 1½ times an employee’s regular pay. If an employee receives premium pay for working on a public holiday, they must be paid 1½ times their regular rate of pay for each hour they worked.
How to manage stat holiday entitlements
As an employer, it is important that you understand how to correctly manage statutory holiday pay to avoid being fined. You should create a clear and comprehensive policy on statutory holiday pay and include it in your employee handbook. This will help your employees know who qualifies for stat holiday pay and who doesn’t.
Employer FAQs
Do employees have to work on the holiday if asked?
Some industries can require work (retail, hospitality, health care), but employees must receive either:
Public holiday pay + premium pay, or
Public holiday pay + a substitute day off.
What if an employee is on vacation during a stat holiday?
Their vacation day is not “used.” They must receive:
Public holiday pay and
Another vacation day later.
What if a stat holiday falls on an employee’s regular day off?
They are still entitled to public holiday pay or a substitute day off, depending on the scheduling needs of the employer.
Are stat holidays different for federally regulated employees?
Yes. Federally regulated workers follow the Canada Labour Code, which includes different rules and a different list of holidays.
Do probationary, contract, or temp employees qualify?
Yes. Employment Standards rules apply regardless of:
Seniority
Job title
Full-time or part-time status
Temporary or permanent role
Does your employee handbook include a policy for statutory holiday time off?
As a small business owner, it is important that you know how to manage
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stat holiday pay and entitlements
correctly. If you are unsure about your responsibilities when it comes to calculating statutory holiday pay, Peninsula can help. Consult our
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HR experts
call us today at
1 (833) 247-3652
to get advice on developing a stat holiday pay and entitlement policy tailored to your business.
Do you need help managing stat holiday pay in Ontario?
Let our qualified HR experts help you calculate the correct stat holiday pay and develop entitlement policies tailored to your business.
Book a free advice call
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