Termination Payments

Employers must pay certain amounts due terminated employees, such as earned wages, wages in lieu of notice and statutory severance pay (if any), within a time period set by law. Here are the payments due upon termination in each province.

 MINIMUM PAYMENTS DUE UPON TERMINATION

FEDERAL: a. Wages due on next regular pay-day or within 30 days of date of entitlement; and b. Vacation pay due “forthwith” when employment ceases [Canada Labour Code, Sections 188 and 247].

ALBERTA: All amounts due within 3 days of last date of employment [Employment Standards Code, Section 9].

BRITISH COLUMBIA: All amounts due within 48 hours of effective date of termination [Employment Standards Act, Section 18].

MANITOBA: All amounts due within 10 working days after termination, unless employer has been following a different practice since 1976 [Employment Standards Code, Section 86].

NEW BRUNSWICK: All amounts due upon earlier of 21 days after termination or next pay period [Employment Standards Act, Section 37].

NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR: All amounts due within 1 week of termination date [Labour Standards Act, Sections 9(2) and 33(2)].

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES & NUNAVUT: All amounts due within 10 days after termination [Labour Standards Act, Section 50(3)].

NOVA SCOTIA: a. Wages due on or before expiration of notice period; and b. Vacation pay due within 10 days after employment terminates [Labour Standards Code, Sections 34 and 74(b)].

ONTARIO: All amounts due within 7 days after last date of employment or on next regular payday, whichever is later [Employment Standards Act, Section 11(5)].

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND: All amounts due by last day of next regular pay period [Employment Standards Act, Sections 11(2) and 30(5)].

QUÉBEC: All amounts due at time employment is terminated [An Act respecting labour standards, Sections 55 and 83].

SASKATCHEWAN: All amounts due within 14 days after effective date of termination [Labour Standards Act, Section 48].

YUKON: a. All wages, including vacation pay, due within 7 days after date of termination; and b. Termination pay due within 10 days of expiration of pay period or in installments equal to normal pay on regular paydays [Employment Standards Act, Sections 25(1) and 65(2)].