Most Canadian provinces require overtime pay at 1.5 times the employee's regular wage once weekly hours pass a threshold of 40, 44, or 48 hours, though British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut also apply a daily overtime trigger after 8 hours. Three Atlantic provinces base overtime on 1.5 times the minimum wage rather than the regular wage.

• The weekly overtime threshold ranges from 40 hours to 48 hours, with Ontario and New Brunswick at 44 hours.
• British Columbia is the only province that requires double time, which kicks in after 12 hours in a single day.
• Banked overtime and averaging agreements are allowed in most provinces, but each requires a written agreement and specific record-keeping to be enforceable.

Federally regulated employees must be paid overtime at 1.5 times their regular rate for all hours worked beyond 40 hours in a week, under the Canada Labour Code, Part III.

Federal jurisdiction covers banks, interprovincial trucking and rail, telecommunications, broadcasting, airlines and airports, marine shipping, and federal Crown corporations. Almost every restaurant, retail chain, care home, and franchise operator in Canada is provincially regulated, not federally regulated.

Overtime pay in Ontario

Ontario requires overtime pay at 1.5 times the regular rate for all hours worked beyond 44 in a work week, under the Employment Standards Act, 2000.

Ontario has no daily overtime trigger. Common exemptions include managers and supervisors whose work is primarily managerial, regulated professionals, taxicab drivers, and certain highway transport workers.

British Columbia requires overtime at 1.5 times the regular rate after 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week, and double time after 12 hours in a day, under the Employment Standards Act.

BC is the only Canadian jurisdiction that mandates double time. If both daily and weekly overtime apply in the same week, the employer pays whichever calculation produces the higher total, not both.

Overtime pay in Alberta

Alberta requires overtime at 1.5 times the regular rate for hours worked over 8 in a day or 44 in a week, whichever calculation produces the greater number of overtime hours, under the Employment Standards Code. Alberta allows overtime agreements under which banked time off is given at 1 hour for every overtime hour worked, not 1.5.

Quebec requires overtime at 1.5 times the regular hourly wage for all hours worked beyond 40 hours per week, under the Act respecting labour standards.

Quebec has no daily overtime threshold. Overtime may be replaced with paid time off equal to the overtime hours multiplied by 1.5.

Overtime pay in Manitoba

Manitoba requires overtime at 1.5 times the regular rate after 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week, under the Employment Standards Code.

Saskatchewan requires overtime at 1.5 times the regular wage after 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week, under the Saskatchewan Employment Act.

Overtime pay in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia requires overtime at 1.5 times the minimum wage for all hours worked beyond 48 hours in a week, under the Labour Standards Code. With minimum wage at $16.75 per hour (effective April 1, 2026, rising to $17.00 on October 1, 2026), the statutory overtime rate is $25.13 per hour, rising to $25.50.

New Brunswick requires overtime at 1.5 times the minimum wage for all hours worked beyond 44 hours in a week, under the Employment Standards Act. With minimum wage at $15.90 per hour (effective April 1, 2026), the statutory overtime rate is $23.85 per hour.

Overtime pay in Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador requires overtime at 1.5 times the minimum wage for all hours worked beyond 40 hours in a week, under the Labour Standards Act. With minimum wage at $16.35 per hour (effective April 1, 2026), the statutory overtime rate is $24.53 per hour.

Prince Edward Island requires overtime at 1.5 times the regular wage for all hours worked beyond 48 hours in a week, under the Employment Standards Act. No daily trigger applies.

Overtime pay in Yukon

Yukon requires overtime at 1.5 times the regular wage after 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week, under the Employment Standards Act.

The Northwest Territories requires overtime at 1.5 times the regular wage after 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week, under the Employment Standards Act.

Overtime pay in Nunavut

Nunavut requires overtime at 1.5 times the regular wage after 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week, under the Labour Standards Act. The territory has the highest general minimum wage in Canada at $19.75 per hour (effective September 1, 2025).

The table below summarises the daily threshold, weekly threshold, and overtime rate for every Canadian jurisdiction.

Overtime exemptions in Canada: who does not qualify

Most Canadian jurisdictions exempt specific occupations from overtime pay. Managers and supervisors are generally exempt only when their primary duty is management. Salaried employees are not automatically exempt from overtime pay in Canada.

Most Canadian jurisdictions allow overtime to be banked as paid time off, and most also allow averaging agreements that spread hours over multiple weeks. Banked overtime is typically accrued at 1.5 hours of paid time off for every overtime hour worked; Alberta defaults to a 1:1 ratio.

How to calculate overtime pay in Canada: worked examples

A server in Hamilton earns $17.60 per hour. In one work week she works 53 total hours. Ontario's threshold is 44 hours weekly, with no daily trigger.

Overtime hours: 53 minus 44 = 9 hours. Regular pay: 44 × $17.60 = $774.40. Overtime pay: 9 × ($17.60 × 1.5) = $237.60. Gross weekly pay: $1,012.00.

Example 2: British Columbia retail assistant (daily and weekly)

A retail chain assistant in Kelowna earns $20.00 per hour and works 48 hours across the week, including a 13-hour Monday shift.

Regular hours: 40. Hours at 1.5×: 7. Hours at 2×: 1. Regular pay: 40 × $20.00 = $800.00. Time and a half: 7 × $30.00 = $210.00. Double time: 1 × $40.00 = $40.00. Gross weekly pay: $1,050.00.

A PSW in Calgary earns $24.00 per hour and works five 10-hour shifts (50 total hours). Daily overtime totals 10 hours; weekly overtime totals 6 hours. Alberta's rule pays the greater of the two, not both.

Regular pay: 40 × $24.00 = $960.00. Overtime pay: 10 × ($24.00 × 1.5) = $360.00. Gross weekly pay: $1,320.00.