Back to blog
Statutory Holidays in Ontario are being enjoyed by two people who are looking at a scenic lake.
Legislative Compliance

An Employer’s Guide to Ontario Stat Holidays 2026

A guide to Ontario stat holidays 2026

Each year, businesses must recognize Ontario’s legislated public holidays, commonly known as statutory or “stat” holidays. For most employees who qualify, that means a day off with public holiday pay, although special rules and alternative arrangements can apply. Despite this practice recurring every year, public holidays still prompt questions for businesses of all sizes and in all industries. This guide covers statutory holidays in Ontario in 2026, public holiday pay, the “last and first” rule, substitute holidays, and when employees may work on a public holiday. 

Key takeaways

  • Ontario has nine public holidays under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA). 
  • Most employees who qualify can take these days off and receive public holiday pay. 
  • Public holiday pay is generally based on the total amount of regular wages earned plus applicable vacation pay payable in the previous four workweeks, divided by 20. 
  • Special rules can apply when employees work on a public holiday or when a holiday falls on a non-working day.

Ontario stat holidays 2026 at a glance

Ontario’s ESA recognizes nine public holidays. Most employees who qualify are entitled to public holiday pay for these days. 

Holiday 2026 Date 
New Year’s Day January 1 
Family Day February 16 
Good Friday April 3 
Victoria Day May 18 
Canada Day July 1 
Labour Day September 7 
Thanksgiving Day October 12 
Christmas Day December 25 
Boxing Day December 26 
Ontario stat holiday table, 2026 

Optional public holidays

Several other dates are commonly observed by Ontario workplaces, but they are not legislated public holidays under the ESA. These include:

  • Civic Holiday: The first Monday in August. 
  • National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: A day for reflection and reconciliation. 
  • Remembrance Day: Honouring veterans and those who served. 
  • Easter Monday: The Monday following Easter Sunday.

Whether paid time off applies to these dates depends on the workplace policy, employment contract, or a collective agreement, if applicable. Remember that these dates are not public holidays under Ontario’s ESA for provincially regulated workplaces, although an employment contract, collective agreement, or workplace policy may provide additional entitlements. 

Note: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a federal statutory holiday, but it is not a legislated public holiday under the ESA for provincially regulated workplaces. 

See our article on shutting down for non-statutory holidays for details on planning a legally compliant closure for non-statutory holidays in Ontario. 

When do Ontario’s legislated public holidays occur each year? 

The statutory holidays in Ontario 2026 schedule follows the recurring dates and rules below.  

Holiday Day 
New Year’s Day January 1 
Family Day The third Monday in February 
Good Friday The Friday before Easter Sunday 
Victoria Day The Monday before May 25 
Canada Day July 1, unless July 1 is a Sunday, in which case July 2 is the holiday 
Labour Day The first Monday in September 
Thanksgiving Day The second Monday in October 
Christmas Day December 25 
Boxing Day December 26 
Ontario stat holiday table, 2026

Requirements differ for each jurisdiction when a holiday falls on the weekend. For more details, check out our guide to what happens when holidays fall on the weekend.

Is everyone in Ontario entitled to these statutory holidays?

Most employees in Ontario are entitled to take these public holidays off and receive public holiday pay. This includes full-time, part-time, fixed-term, casual, and permanent employees. While most employees can expect paid holiday time, it’s essential to understand potential exceptions. Some employees might be required to work on a stat holiday, or their employment might fall under specific ESA exemptions. For detailed information and to determine your specific entitlement, consult the Employment Standards Act, 2000 and its regulations, or the government guide, “Industries and jobs with exemptions or special rules.” 

Eligibility depends on whether the worker is covered by the ESA and whether any occupation- or industry-specific exemption or special rule applies. 

What is the “last and first” rule?

In Ontario, employees must work all of their last regularly scheduled shift before the public holiday and all of their first regularly scheduled shift after the holiday, unless they have reasonable cause for missing the scheduled time. If there is reasonable cause for failing to work all of their last or first regularly scheduled shift, the employee is entitled to the holiday pay. 

Tips for applying the “last and first” rule 

The keyword here is “scheduled.” This means the rule applies to an employee’s regularly scheduled shifts. Here are some examples:

  • Leave of absence: If an employee is on a job-protected leave, the employee may still qualify for holiday pay if they work their last regularly scheduled shift before the leave began and their first regularly scheduled shift after the leave, or have reasonable cause for failing to do so. 
  • Part-time employees: For part-time workers with set schedules (for example, Tuesdays and Thursdays), their last scheduled day is their last Tuesday or Thursday shift before the holiday, and their first scheduled day is their next scheduled Tuesday or Thursday after the holiday.

Exceptions: “reasonable cause” for absence 

If an employee misses their last or first scheduled day due to “reasonable cause,” they are still entitled to holiday pay. Whether reasonable cause exists depends on the circumstances. It generally involves a reason beyond the employee’s control, such as an illness or an unexpected emergency that prevents the employee from working the scheduled shift. 

If an employee fails to meet the “last and first” rule without reasonable cause, they are not eligible to receive public holiday pay.  

How do you calculate public holiday pay? 

An employee’s entitlement to public holiday pay in Ontario is calculated from the total amount of regular wages earned in the four workweeks before the week of the public holiday, plus any vacation pay payable in those four workweeks, divided by 20.  

Calculating public holiday pay tips

  • Four-week period: When reviewing the four weeks before the public holiday, do not include the week that the public holiday falls in. 
  • Regular wages: “Regular wages” do not include overtime pay, premium pay, termination pay, public holiday pay, severance pay, or vacation pay. 
  • Vacation pay inclusion: If you provide a percentage of vacation pay on each paycheque, then this amount must be included when calculating public holiday pay. 
  • Vacation pay exclusion (future vacation): Vacation pay intended for a vacation period after the public holiday should not be included. For example, if an employee is taking a vacation immediately following the holiday and receives vacation pay in advance, that vacation pay is excluded from the public holiday pay calculation. However, that vacation pay will be considered in future public holiday pay calculations if the vacation week falls within the four-week review period for a subsequent holiday.

In practice, the safest approach is to apply the ESA formula consistently and keep clear payroll records showing the wages and vacation pay used in the calculation. 

What happens when a public holiday falls on a non-working day? 

If a public holiday falls on an employee’s regular non-working day, an employee who qualifies is generally entitled to one of the following:

  • A substitute holiday: A day with public holiday pay, often observed on a nearby workday, for example, the following Monday if there is a holiday on the Sunday. 
  • Holiday pay only: With the employee’s agreement, electronically or in writing, the employer can provide only the public holiday pay without a substitute day off.

A substitute holiday must generally be scheduled within three months of the public holiday but with the employee’s agreement, it can be scheduled within 12 months. Employers should document the substitute holiday and follow the ESA timing and notice requirements when providing an alternate day off. For example, employers must give the employee a written statement before the public holiday setting out the public holiday being substituted, the date of the substitute holiday, and the date the statement was provided. 

Can I ask employees to work on a public holiday? 

Yes, you can ask employees to work on the stat holiday in Ontario. For most employees, the employer and employee need to agree electronically or in writing that the employee will work on the public holiday. 

Those who work on a public holiday are entitled to one of these two options:

  • Regular pay + substitute day off: Regular wages for all hours worked on the holiday, plus a substitute day off with public holiday pay. This substitute day must be taken within three months of the holiday (or within 12 months if an electronic or written agreement is in place). 
  • Premium pay + holiday pay: Public holiday pay, plus premium pay (1.5 times their regular wage) for all hours worked on the holiday. To choose this option, the employee must agree electronically or in writing to receive public holiday pay plus premium pay instead of a substitute day off.

Employees who work in hotels, motels, tourist resorts, restaurants, taverns, hospitals, nursing homes, and continuous operations can be required to work on a public holiday without their agreement if the holiday falls on a day they would normally work, and they are not on vacation. In these cases, the employer chooses which payment or substitute holiday options will apply.  

Additional occupation- and industry-specific rules can apply, so employers should confirm the relevant ESA exemption or special rule before scheduling work. 

Frequently asked questions

I just hired a new employee who started one week before the holiday. Are they entitled to public holiday pay? 

Yes. There is no minimum length of employment required for public holiday pay. If the employee otherwise qualifies, their public holiday pay is calculated using the regular wages earned and any vacation pay payable to them in the applicable four-workweek period, divided by 20. A new employee may therefore receive a smaller amount of  public holiday pay because they have fewer wages in the calculation period. 

We just had an employee start parental leave immediately following the public holiday. Are they entitled to public holiday pay? 

Yes. An employee on parental leave may still receive public holiday pay if they work their last regularly scheduled shift before the leave and their first regularly scheduled shift after the leave, or have reasonable cause for not doing so. The amount of public holiday pay depends on the wages and vacation pay included in the ESA calculation period. 

We have a few employees on temporary layoff. Are they entitled to public holiday pay? 

Yes, employees on temporary layoff may still be entitled to public holiday pay, and the “last and first” rule still applies in this scenario. The employee’s entitlement is based on regular wages earned plus vacation pay payable in the four workweeks before the holiday, divided by 20. As a result, the amount of public holiday pay may be $0 if the employee had no regular wages or vacation pay payable during the applicable calculation period.  

An employee resigned, and their scheduled last shift is the day before the public holiday. Are they entitled to public holiday pay? 

Generally, no. If the employment relationship ends before the public holiday, the person is generally not entitled to public holiday pay for that holiday. However, separate rules can apply if an employee’s job comes to an end before the employee can take a substitute holiday with public holiday pay that they have earned. In this case, the employer must pay the employee’s public holiday pay at the same time it pays the employee’s final wages. 

Which Ontario public holidays should employers plan for in 2026? 

For employers looking for statutory holidays Ontario 2026 information, the nine ESA public holidays are New Year’s Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. The dates for 2026 are listed in the table near the top of this guide. 

How effective are your time-off policies? 

Let Citation Canada’s team of experts help with professional support and practical HR solutions. See why we’re trusted by over 500,000 Canadian workers today.

See how we simplify hr and health and safety projects at over 6,500 Canadian businesses every day 

Give us a call or request a demo to discover why we’re the workplace compliance and HR business partner Canadian small business owners trust.