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SuperHR Canada

Remembrance Day Stat Holiday Pay Considerations
Western Canada

Remembrance Day is celebrated to honour veterans, commemorate the fallen, promote peace, educate about historical conflicts, unite communities, and instill national pride. It serves as a solemn reminder of the sacrifices made by those who served in the military, particularly during world wars, and emphasizes the importance of peace and reconciliation. The wearing of red poppies symbolizes remembrance and hope. Observed on November 11th in Canada to mark the end of World War I, Remembrance Day includes a two-minute silence at 11:00 AM to reflect on the past, express gratitude for the sacrifices, and reaffirm the commitment to a peaceful world.


So what Stat Holiday pay considerations should I take into account for my organization? Click on your province to find out:


*While celebrated, Remembrance Day is not a statutory holiday in Manitoba, Ontario, Québec and Nova Scotia.

British Columbia
Alberta
Saskachewan
Federal

​​​British Columbia

Employee Eligibility
  • Employees receive statutory holiday pay if they Have been employed for 30 calendar days and
  • Have worked or earned wages (like paid vacation days or another statutory holiday) on 15 of the 30 days before a statutory holiday

Some people think employees only need to work the day before and the day after to qualify for statutory holiday pay. This isn't the case in B.C.
If an employee does not qualify for statutory holiday pay, they are paid regular pay for working on a statutory holiday.

Calculate Statutory Holiday Pay
  • Total wages ÷ number of days worked = statutory holiday pay (an average day's pay)
  • Base your calculation on days worked during the 30 calendar days before the statutory holiday.
  • Include all wages. Don't include overtime.

Extra pay to work on a statutory holiday
Employees are paid time-and-a-half for hours worked on a statutory holiday – double-time for hours worked over 12 hours. If an employee doesn't qualify for statutory holiday pay, they get regular pay for working on a statutory holiday.

Employees should be paid statutory holiday pay (an average day's pay) for a regular or scheduled day off that falls on a statutory holiday.
Summary: Remembrance Day is one of the 10 statutory holidays in British Columbia. Qualifying employees in BC receive the day off with holiday pay if it's a regular working day.
Employers and employees may agree (in writing) to substitute another day for Remembrance Day, and the substitute day must be treated the same as the statutory holiday.

​​​Alberta

Employee Eligibility
To be eligible for general holiday pay for Remembrance Day, employees must: 
  • work their scheduled shift before and after the holiday (unless employer consent is given for the absence)
  • work on the general holiday if required and scheduled to do so
  • have worked for the same employer for at least 30 workdays in the 12 months prior to the holiday

Calculate Statutory Holiday Pay
Regular day of work: 
If the holiday falls on a regular day of work and an employee doesn’t work on Remembrance Day, then they are entitled to general holiday pay of an amount that is at least their average daily wage. 
If an employee works on Remembrance Day, then the employee is entitled to general holiday pay of an amount that is equal to:
  • at least their average daily wage, and at least 1.5 times their wage rate for each hour worked on that day, or
  • standard wage rate for each hour worked on the general holiday and a day off with pay where the pay is at least as much as their average daily wage

Non-regular day of work:
If the holiday falls on a non-regular day of work and an employee doesn’t work on Remembrance Day, they are not entitled to general holiday pay.
If an employee works on Remembrance Day, then the employee is entitled to general holiday pay of an amount that is equal to at least 1.5 times their wage rate for each hour worked on that day.
Summary: In Alberta, Remembrance Day is a general holiday. Qualifying employees in Alberta receive the day off with general holiday pay if it's a regular working day. If the holiday falls on a day that isn’t a regular workday for an employee and they don't work on Remembrance Day, they aren’t entitled to general holiday pay.

​​Saskatchewan

Employee Eligibility
Per Saskatchewan labor regulations, all employees are eligible to receive statutory holiday pay for the 10 official provincial holidays, irrespective of their compensation structure or work schedule.

Calculate Statutory Holiday Pay
Employees receive five per cent of their wages in the 28 days (four weeks) before a public holiday as public holiday pay.
The calculation includes all wages earned in the 28 days (four weeks), including vacation pay for vacation taken during the four weeks before the public holiday, and any public holiday pay for public holidays that occurred during the four weeks before the public holiday. The calculation does not include overtime.
A new employee is entitled to public holiday pay even if they have been employed for less than four weeks before the public holiday. The amount of public holiday pay is five per cent of the regular wages earned by the new employee before the public holiday.
Employees working on a public holiday earn pay of 1.5 times their regular hourly rate for all hours worked. This includes managerial and professional employees and operators of group homes. The pay rate of 1.5 is in addition to the normal day's pay calculated below in Public Holiday Pay.
Summary: In Saskatchewan, Remembrance Day is a public holiday and qualifying employees receive the day off with holiday pay. When a public holiday falls on a Saturday, it is not observed on a different day.

​​​Federal Employees

In the Canada Labour Code, Remembrance Day is recognized as a general holiday. That means federally-regulated businesses (like banks and mail delivery services) are not operational on November 11. When Remembrance Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday that is a non-working day for an employee, the employee is entitled to a holiday with pay on the working day immediately preceding or following the general holiday.

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