Vacation pay calculator for Canada
Calculate vacation pay and vacation time entitlement by jurisdiction: percentage, dollar amount, and days per year. Vacation pay (the money) and vacation time (the days off) are tracked separately, since they’re two different entitlements.
- 14 jurisdictions modelled
- Tenure-based rates applied
- Latest legislation
How vacation pay works in Canada
Your entitlement depends on province and tenure
Vacation pay in Canada is a percentage of your gross earnings, not a fixed dollar amount. The rate and the number of vacation days both increase with years of service, and each province sets its own minimums.
Vacation time
Your legal right to be away from work, measured in weeks or days.
Vacation pay
The money you’re paid during that time off, measured as a percentage of gross earnings.
Vacation pay vs. vacation time
Vacation pay is the dollar amount (a percentage of earnings). Vacation time is the days off. Your employer must give you both. They’re separate entitlements.
When it accrues
Vacation pay accrues as you work. Most employers pay it out while the employee is away, so they don’t miss a paycheque, or include it in every paycheque as a percentage.
Gross earnings defined
In most provinces, vacation pay is calculated on all earnings including overtime, commissions, and bonuses, not just base salary.
Employers who offer more
Many employers offer more than the statutory minimum. These are minimum requirements. Your employment contract may grant you more, and that’s often the case.
Vacation pay & time by jurisdiction
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| Jurisdiction | Min – max vacation percentages | Tenure required for increase | Vacation time minimums |
|---|
The vacation-time column assumes a standard 5-day work week (1 week = 5 business days).
Notes by region
Ontario, BC, Alberta & Manitoba
These four align closely: 2 weeks (10 days) and 4% to start, rising to 3 weeks (15 days) and 6% at 5 years of service.
Saskatchewan, the outlier
Starts higher than anywhere else in Canada: 3 weeks (15 days) and roughly 5.77% (3/52) from year one, rising to 4 weeks (20 days) and roughly 7.69% (4/52) after 10 years.
Quebec, the fast track
Reaches the third week faster than any other province: 3 weeks (15 days) and 6% at just 3 years of service. In the first year, vacation accrues monthly, 1 day per month worked, up to 2 weeks.
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick & PEI
All three start at 2 weeks (10 days) and 4%, but the third week takes longer to arrive: the increase to 3 weeks (15 days) and 6% only triggers at 8 years of service.
Newfoundland & Labrador
The longest statutory wait in the country: 2 weeks (10 days) and 4% for a full 15 years before increasing to 3 weeks (15 days) and 6%.
Yukon, NWT & Nunavut
Yukon holds flat at 2 weeks (10 days) and 4% with no statutory step-up. The Northwest Territories and Nunavut instead follow the ON/BC/AB/MB pattern, increasing to 3 weeks (15 days) and 6% once an employee starts their fifth year of service.
Federal, an extra step
Federally-regulated employees get a third tier the provinces don’t: 2 weeks (10 days) and 4% to start, 3 weeks (15 days) and 6% at 5 years, and 4 weeks (20 days) and 8% at 10 years.
Why vacation pay and vacation time aren’t the same number
Vacation pay is calculated on gross “vacationable” earnings: base salary, overtime, commissions, and non-discretionary bonuses. That’s a dollar figure. Vacation time is a fixed number of days or weeks set by legislation. The two don’t always move together:
The overtime surplus
An employee who works a lot of overtime builds up a large vacation pay balance, but their statutory time off stays exactly the same (e.g. 2 weeks). Accrued pay beyond what’s used during that time off doesn’t disappear. It still has to be paid out, typically through a year-end top-up or on termination.
The part-time reality
A part-time employee gets the same calendar weeks of time off as a full-time employee. But because they work fewer hours, their accrued vacation pay only covers the wages for the hours they’d normally work in that period, not a full-time equivalent.
Common questions
Vacation pay in Canada FAQ
Statutory minimum vacation (the basic 2 or 3 weeks) can never be forfeited under a “use it or lose it” policy: if an employee doesn’t take it, the employer must eventually require them to take it, or pay out the accrued vacation pay. Vacation beyond the statutory minimum is different: if an employer grants more than the minimum (e.g. 5 weeks when the minimum is 3), a contract or policy can require the extra time be used by a set date or forfeited. This is legally valid in most provinces, provided it’s clearly written into the employee’s contract.
In most provinces, employers can pay vacation pay as a percentage on every paycheque instead of as a lump sum. But it’s the employer’s choice, not the employee’s: your company sets the vacation pay policy. If you see vacation pay on every paycheque, that means your employer has chosen to pay it out as you earn it, leaving you to set aside those funds for when you actually take the time off.
Any vacation pay you’ve earned but haven’t been paid must be included in your final pay when your employment ends. It isn’t forfeited.
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