Ontario Statutory Holidays 2026: Dates, Holiday Pay and Working Rules

Ontario has nine statutory holidays in 2026 for most employees covered by the province’s Employment Standards Act (ESA). Eligible employees generally receive the day off with public holiday pay. If they work, different pay or substitute-day rules may apply.

This guide lists every Ontario statutory holiday in 2026 and explains public holiday pay, part-time eligibility, the “last and first” rule, and what happens when a holiday falls on your regular day off.

Ontario statutory holidays 2026: complete list

Holiday	2026 date	Day
New Year’s Day	January 1, 2026	Thursday
Family Day	February 16, 2026	Monday
Good Friday	April 3, 2026	Friday
Victoria Day	May 18, 2026	Monday
Canada Day	July 1, 2026	Wednesday
Labour Day	September 7, 2026	Monday
Thanksgiving Day	October 12, 2026	Monday
Christmas Day	December 25, 2026	Friday
Boxing Day	December 26, 2026	Saturday

These dates apply to most employees in workplaces regulated by Ontario. Federally regulated employees—such as some workers in banks, airlines, telecommunications and interprovincial transportation—follow federal labour rules, which have a different holiday list.

How is statutory holiday pay calculated in Ontario?

Ontario’s official public holiday pay formula is:

(Regular wages earned + vacation pay payable in the four work weeks before the work week containing the public holiday) ÷ 20

The calculation uses the four complete work weeks before the work week in which the holiday occurs. It is not simply the 28 calendar days immediately before the holiday.

Ontario holiday pay example

Suppose an employee earned $3,200 in regular wages and had $128 in vacation pay payable during the relevant four-work-week period:

($3,200 + $128) ÷ 20 = $166.40

The employee’s public holiday pay would be $166.40. Your actual amount can be different if you work part-time, have irregular hours, receive commissions or had unpaid time during the calculation period.

If you want to estimate regular earnings using the current wage floor, see our Ontario minimum wage 2026 guide.

Do part-time and casual employees receive holiday pay?

Yes. Part-time, temporary and casual employees may qualify for Ontario public holiday pay. There is no rule saying that only full-time employees receive it. The formula automatically adjusts the amount according to eligible wages earned during the four-work-week calculation period.

However, an employee may lose the entitlement if they do not follow the last-and-first rule or fail to work an agreed or required public-holiday shift without reasonable cause.

What is Ontario’s “last and first” rule?

To qualify, an employee generally must work all of their last regularly scheduled shift before the holiday and all of their first regularly scheduled shift after it, unless they have reasonable cause for missing the shift.

This does not mean the employee must work the calendar day immediately before and after the holiday. It refers to their own scheduled shifts. For example, if a person normally works Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the relevant shifts are the last scheduled shift before the holiday and the first scheduled shift after it.

Reasonable cause depends on the circumstances and may include situations outside the employee’s control. Keep documents such as medical information, emergency records and messages sent to the employer if a shift must be missed.

What happens if you work on a statutory holiday?

In many workplaces, an employee and employer can agree electronically or in writing that the employee will work on the public holiday. The employee will generally receive one of these arrangements:

• Public holiday pay plus premium pay: public holiday pay for the day, plus at least 1.5 times the regular rate for each hour worked; or
• Regular wages plus a substitute holiday: regular wages for hours worked, plus another day off with public holiday pay.

The exact rule can depend on the workplace and agreement. Hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, motels, tourist resorts, restaurants, taverns and continuous operations have special provisions under the ESA, and an employer may be permitted to require eligible employees to work.

Example: working eight hours on a holiday

An employee’s regular rate is $20 per hour, their calculated public holiday pay is $160, and they work eight hours under the premium-pay arrangement:

• Premium pay: 8 × $20 × 1.5 = $240
• Public holiday pay: $160
• Total for the holiday arrangement: $400

This example assumes the employee qualifies and the premium-pay arrangement applies. Always compare the result with the written agreement and pay statement.

What if the holiday falls on your day off or during vacation?

If a public holiday falls on a day that is not normally a working day for an eligible employee, or it falls during the employee’s vacation, the employee generally receives a substitute holiday with public holiday pay.

The employer normally schedules the substitute holiday within three months after the public holiday. The period may be extended to as much as 12 months when the employee agrees electronically or in writing.

Instead of a substitute day, the employee and employer may agree electronically or in writing that the employee will receive public holiday pay for the original holiday.

This matters in 2026 because Boxing Day falls on Saturday, December 26. Do not assume that every Ontario workplace must automatically close on the following Monday. The employee’s schedule, workplace rules and written arrangement determine how the entitlement is handled.

Are Civic Holiday and September 30 statutory holidays in Ontario?

Not for most provincially regulated employees. The following dates are commonly confused with Ontario ESA public holidays:

• Easter Monday: not an Ontario ESA public holiday.
• Civic Holiday: not an Ontario ESA public holiday, although some employers provide it as a benefit.
• National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30): not an Ontario ESA public holiday for most provincially regulated employees, but it is a federal general holiday for many federally regulated workers.
• Remembrance Day (November 11): not an Ontario ESA public holiday for most provincially regulated employees.

An employment contract, collective agreement or company policy can provide more generous holiday benefits than the ESA minimum.

What should you check on your pay statement?

• Confirm that vacation pay payable in the relevant four-work-week period was included.
• Check that the calculation was divided by 20.
• If you worked, confirm whether the agreement provides premium pay or a substitute day.
• Keep a copy of your work schedule and any written or electronic holiday agreement.
• Check that the correct regular rate and hours worked were used.

If the payment appears incorrect, ask payroll or your employer for the calculation in writing. If the issue is not resolved, review the Ontario Ministry of Labour’s official information and options for making an employment standards claim.

Frequently asked questions

How many statutory holidays are there in Ontario in 2026?

There are nine Ontario public holidays under the ESA for most provincially regulated employees.

Is Boxing Day a statutory holiday in Ontario?

Yes. Boxing Day is one of Ontario’s nine ESA public holidays. In 2026 it falls on Saturday, December 26, so substitute-holiday or written pay arrangements may be relevant.

Do you get time and a half on an Ontario statutory holiday?

If an eligible employee works under the premium-pay arrangement, they generally receive public holiday pay plus at least 1.5 times their regular rate for each hour worked. Another possible arrangement is regular wages for the hours worked plus a substitute holiday with public holiday pay.

Can an employer make you work on a statutory holiday?

Special rules apply in certain industries, including hospitals, continuous operations, hotels and restaurants. In other situations, working on the holiday commonly requires an electronic or written agreement. The applicable pay or substitute-day entitlement still needs to be followed.

Do new employees qualify for public holiday pay?

Ontario does not impose a general minimum length-of-employment requirement for public holiday pay. New employees can qualify, although their pay amount may be lower because the formula uses wages from the prior four work weeks.

Official Ontario resources

• Ontario guide to public holidays
• Employment Standards Act, 2000
• Ontario public holiday policy and interpretation manual

This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Employment rules can vary by workplace and whether the employee is provincially or federally regulated. Check the current official government guidance for your situation.

Related Ontario workplace guide: Learn the rules for meal breaks, rest periods and working hours in Ontario.