Minimum Vacation Entitlements – Know The Laws of Your Province
Quebec and Saskatchewan’s vacation entitlements are the most generous; the Maritime Provinces are the least generous
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In the Canadian workplace, vacations aren’t just a source of leisure but employment income. That’s because employment standards laws require employers to provide employees vacation pay based on their years of employment. Seen from the prospective of new employees, Québec and Saskatchewan are the most generous since you can accrue the most vacation entitlement and pay in the least amount of time. By contrast, employees in the Maritimes need 7 or more years to get their maximum entitlement. Here are the current minimum entitlements in each jurisdiction.
Minimum Vacation & Vacation Pay Entitlements Across Canada
FEDERAL
| Vacation Pay | 4% after 1 year |
| 6% after 5 years | |
| 8% after 10 years | |
| Vacation Entitlements | 2 weeks after 1 year |
| 3 weeks after 5 years | |
| 4 weeks after 10 years |
ALBERTA
| Vacation Pay | 4% for first 4 years |
| 6% after 5 years | |
| Vacation Entitlements | 2 weeks after 1 year |
| 3 weeks after 5 years |
BRITISH COLUMBIA
| Vacation Pay | 4% for first 5 years |
| 6% after 5 years | |
| Vacation Entitlements | 2 weeks after 1 year |
| 3 weeks after 5 years |
MANITOBA
| Vacation Pay | 4% for first 4 years |
| 6% after 5 years | |
| Vacation Entitlements | 2 weeks after 1 year |
| 3 weeks after 5 years |
NEW BRUNSWICK
| Vacation Pay | 4% for less than 8 years |
| 6% after 8 years | |
| Vacation Entitlements | Less than 8 years: 2 regular weeks or 1 day for each calendar month worked |
| More than 8 years: 1 ¼ day/month worked or 3 weeks |
NEWFOUNDLAND
| Vacation Pay | 4% for less than 15 years |
| 6% after 15 years | |
| Vacation Entitlements | 2 weeks for less than 15 years |
| 3 weeks after 15 years |
NOVA SCOTIA
| Vacation Pay | 4% for first 7 years |
| 6% starting on 8th year | |
| Vacation Entitlements | 2 weeks after 12 months |
| 3 weeks after 8 years |
ONTARIO
| Vacation Pay | 4% for less than 5 years |
| 6% after 5 years | |
| Vacation Entitlements | 2 weeks after 12 months |
| 3 weeks after 5 years |
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
| Vacation Pay | 4% for less than 8 years |
| 6% after 8 years | |
| Vacation Entitlements | 2 weeks after 1 year |
| 3 weeks after 8 years |
QUÉBEC
| Vacation Pay | 4% for less than 3 years |
| 6% after 3 years | |
| Vacation Entitlements | Less than 1 year: 1 day per month not exceeding 2 weeks |
| 1 to less than 3 years: 2 uninterrupted weeks | |
| 3 years and over: 3 uninterrupted weeks |
SASKATCHEWAN
| Vacation Pay | 3/52 (5.77%) for first 9 years |
| 4/52 (7.69%) after 10 years | |
| Vacation Entitlements | 3 weeks after 1 year |
| 4 weeks after 10 years |
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
| Vacation Pay | 4% for first 5 years |
| 6% after 5 years | |
| Vacation Entitlements | 2 weeks after 1 year |
| 3 weeks after 6 years |
NUNAVUT
| Vacation Pay | 4% for first 5 years |
| 6% after 5 years | |
| Vacation Entitlements | 2 weeks after 1 year |
| 3 weeks after 6 years |
YUKON
| Vacation Pay | 4% |
| Vacation Entitlements | 2 weeks after 1 year |