Say an Ontario employee earned $3,200 in regular wages over the four weeks before a holiday, with $128 of vacation pay on those wages. Public holiday pay comes to $166.40. Wages and vacation pay are added, then divided by 20. Enter your own figures above.
The formula
Public holiday pay is your regular wages from the four work weeks before the holiday week, plus the vacation pay payable on them, divided by 20. Overtime pay and earlier public holiday pay don’t count as regular wages. What you get is the pay for one day off.
Two details trip people up. Vacation pay is added to the wages before dividing, so leaving it out lowers the result. In the example, $3,200 alone gives $160.00, while adding the $128 gives $166.40. Also, the four weeks are the ones before the week of the holiday, so the holiday week itself is not counted. Check the stubs for both.
The nine holidays
Ontario recognizes nine: New Year’s Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Civic Holiday and Remembrance Day aren’t public holidays under the Act, though plenty of employers grant them anyway.
Each holiday gets its own calculation, because the four weeks before it change. A holiday that falls after a stretch of extra shifts will pay more than one that follows a slow month. Overtime pay is left out, so extra hours by themselves do not raise the amount. A wage increase counts once it appears in the regular wages of those four weeks, so a raise a month ago is only partly reflected.
Who qualifies
Full-time, part-time, permanent and contract employees mostly qualify. As a rule you must work your last scheduled shift before the holiday and your first one after, unless you have a good reason for missing either. If in doubt, ask your employer.
Working on the holiday
That needs a written agreement. Afterward you receive one of two things. One is your regular wages for the day plus another day off with holiday pay. The other is holiday pay plus premium pay at 1.5 times your rate for the hours worked. Tick the box above to compare them.
Special industries
Hotels, restaurants, hospitals and other continuous operations can require staff to work on a public holiday. Those employees are still paid for the day, or given a substitute day off. Rules differ a little by sector, so read the Ontario guide for your job.
A worked example
An employee has $3,200 of regular wages and $128 of vacation pay in the four weeks before the holiday. That totals $3,328, and dividing by 20 gives $166.40. Suppose the same person works 8 hours at $20 on the day. Premium pay is $240, so the pay-plus-premium option delivers $406.40 in all.
Part-time and irregular hours
Because the formula averages recent wages, it suits changing schedules. Big swings in hours mean big swings in holiday pay. Use the real wages from your last four weeks rather than a guess, and keep the pay stubs.
When employment ends, and keeping records
Leave a job while a substitute holiday is still owed and your final pay has to include it. Note which holidays you worked and which days off were promised in return. Save stubs for the four weeks before each holiday, since they back up the formula. If the amount looks wrong, ask payroll to show the calculation and keep the reply in writing.
Where to go next
The vacation pay that feeds the formula comes from the vacation pay calculator. Extra hours in a week are handled by the overtime pay calculator. For tax on your pay, try the payroll deductions calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How is Ontario public holiday pay calculated?
Regular wages for the four weeks before the holiday week, plus vacation pay on them, divided by 20.
How many public holidays does Ontario have?
Nine.
Do I get paid if I work on a public holiday?
Yes. You get either your regular wages and a substitute day off, or holiday pay plus premium pay.
What is premium pay?
1.5 times your regular rate for the hours you work on the holiday.
Do part-time workers get holiday pay?
Most do, if they meet the shift requirements.
Are Civic Holiday and Remembrance Day public holidays?
No, though some employers give them.
Sources and updates
Last reviewed: . Full disclaimer. How we build calculators. Editorial policy.
Estimate only. This calculator gives general information for planning. It is not tax, legal or financial advice, and it is not affiliated with the City of Toronto, MPAC or the Canada Revenue Agency. Results depend on the numbers you enter and may differ from official amounts. Check official sources or a qualified professional before you decide.