Ontario Statutory Holidays: Complete Employer Guide (2026)
Ontario has 9 statutory (public) holidays in 2026, and most employees are entitled to public holiday pay equal to regular wages plus vacation pay from the previous 4 work weeks, divided by 20. Premium pay of 1.5 times the regular rate applies on top when a qualifying employee agrees in writing to work the holiday and gives up a substitute day off. Boxing Day falls on a Saturday in 2026, which changes the entitlement for many Monday to Friday teams.
- Ontario's 9 statutory holidays in 2026 include New Year's Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day
- Public holiday pay equals regular wages plus vacation pay in the 4 work weeks before the holiday, divided by 20
- An employee who agrees to work a public holiday receives public holiday pay plus 1.5x premium pay, or a substitute day off with public holiday pay
Ontario statutory holidays 2026: the full list and dates
Ontario has nine statutory holidays in 2026: New Year's Day (Thursday, January 1), Family Day (Monday, February 16), Good Friday (Friday, April 3), Victoria Day (Monday, May 18), Canada Day (Wednesday, July 1), Labour Day (Monday, September 7), Thanksgiving Day (Monday, October 12), Christmas Day (Friday, December 25), and Boxing Day (Saturday, December 26). These are set under the Employment Standards Act, 2000.
The one to plan for now is Boxing Day, which lands on a Saturday in 2026. For staff who do not normally work Saturdays, that holiday triggers a substitute day off or public holiday pay rather than a paid day at the counter.
How Ontario statutory holiday pay is calculated
Ontario statutory holiday pay equals all the regular wages an employee earned, plus all the vacation pay payable to them, in the four work weeks before the work week containing the holiday, divided by 20. There is no minimum length of service. Regular wages exclude overtime, vacation pay, public holiday pay, premium pay, termination pay, and severance pay.
Example: a cook earning $24.00 per hour, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week: $24.00 x 8 x 5 x 4 = $3,840.00 regular wages, divided by 20 = $192.00 public holiday pay.
Example: a part-time associate earning $1,500.00 with 4% vacation pay: ($1,500.00 + $60.00) divided by 20 = $78.00 public holiday pay.
Premium pay for Ontario statutory holidays worked
When a qualifying Ontario employee agrees in writing or electronically to work a statutory holiday and gives up a substitute day off, they are entitled to public holiday pay plus premium pay of 1.5 times their regular rate for every hour worked. Hours paid at premium pay do not count toward the weekly overtime threshold.
Example: a cook whose public holiday pay is $192.00 works 8 hours on Canada Day for public holiday pay plus premium pay. Premium pay: $24.00 x 1.5 = $36.00 per hour x 8 hours = $288.00. Total for the day: $192.00 + $288.00 = $480.00.
Substitute holidays for Ontario statutory holidays
A substitute holiday is a regular working day off, paid at public holiday pay, that replaces a statutory holiday the employee worked or that fell on a day they do not normally work. It must be scheduled no later than 3 months after the holiday, or up to 12 months with written or electronic agreement.
Boxing Day falls on Saturday, December 26, 2026. When a holiday falls on a day that is not normally a working day, the employee is entitled to a substitute day off with public holiday pay, or public holiday pay for the holiday itself if they agree in writing. There is no automatic rule that moves Boxing Day to the following Monday.
Who qualifies for Ontario statutory holiday pay: the last and first rule
To qualify for Ontario statutory holiday pay, an employee must work their entire last regularly scheduled shift before the holiday and their entire first regularly scheduled shift after it, unless they have reasonable cause for missing either. This applies to full-time, part-time, permanent, and contract staff regardless of how recently they were hired. An employee who fails this rule without reasonable cause does not get public holiday pay, but if they work the holiday they are still owed premium pay.
Ontario statutory holidays for restaurants, hotels, and care homes
Restaurants, taverns, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, and continuous operations can require employees to work a statutory holiday without their agreement, but only when the holiday falls on a day the employee would normally work and they are not on vacation. The employer then chooses between regular wages plus a substitute day off, or public holiday pay plus premium pay.
Ontario statutory holidays and retail workers' right to refuse
Most retail employees in Ontario have the right to refuse to work a statutory holiday, even if they do not qualify for public holiday pay. Ontario amended the Retail Business Holidays Act in spring 2026, effective for Victoria Day 2026, allowing retailers to open on Family Day and Victoria Day. This does not change pay obligations: eligible employees who work them still earn public holiday pay plus premium pay.
What is not an Ontario statutory holiday in 2026
Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, the Civic Holiday in August, and Remembrance Day are not statutory holidays under Ontario's Employment Standards Act. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a federal holiday applying only to federally regulated workplaces, not provincially regulated employers like most restaurants, retail chains, and care homes.
Frequently asked questions about Ontario statutory holidays
Ontario has nine statutory holidays in 2026 under the Employment Standards Act, 2000: New Year's Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day.
Ontario statutory holiday pay equals all the regular wages an employee earned, plus all the vacation pay payable, in the four work weeks before the holiday, divided by 20. There is no minimum service requirement.
You pay premium pay of 1.5 times the regular rate only when a qualifying employee works the holiday and, by written agreement, takes public holiday pay plus premium pay instead of a substitute day off. Premium pay hours do not count toward weekly overtime.
Yes. Boxing Day is one of Ontario's nine statutory holidays and falls on Saturday, December 26 in 2026. For employees who do not normally work Saturdays, it is paid as a substitute day off with public holiday pay, or as public holiday pay if the employee agrees in writing.
No. The Civic Holiday on the first Monday in August, which is August 3 in 2026, is not a statutory holiday under Ontario's Employment Standards Act. Many employers give the day off as a matter of policy, but there is no legal public holiday pay or premium pay obligation for it.
Yes. Part-time, casual, permanent, and contract employees all qualify for Ontario public holiday pay as long as they meet the last and first rule: working their entire last scheduled shift before the holiday and their entire first scheduled shift after it, unless they have reasonable cause for missing either. Length of service does not matter.
Yes. Restaurants, taverns, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, and continuous operations can require an employee to work a statutory holiday without prior agreement, but only when the holiday falls on a day the employee would normally work and they are not on vacation. The employer chooses between regular wages plus a substitute day off, or public holiday pay plus premium pay.
Most retail employees in Ontario can refuse to work on a statutory holiday, even if they do not qualify for public holiday pay. A retail employee who already agreed in writing to work the holiday can still decline by giving the employer at least 48 hours' notice before the shift was due to begin.
When a statutory holiday falls on a day the employee does not normally work, or during their vacation, the employee is entitled to a substitute day off with public holiday pay, or to public holiday pay for the holiday if they agree in writing or electronically. This is the common situation for Boxing Day 2026, which falls on a Saturday.
Jana Reserva
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