An employee with four years of service gets two weeks of vacation in Ontario, three in Quebec, and three in Saskatchewan from their very first day. Three provinces, two different answers.
The rules on vacation and leave in Canada fall under thirteen provincial and territorial regimes, plus the federal regime. The difference isn’t limited to the number of weeks: it also affects the length-of-service threshold, how vacation pay is calculated and the number of paid sick days.
This guide brings together each jurisdiction’s vacation entitlements, the applicable vacation pay and the main job-protected leaves an employer needs to know about.
Vacation and leave in Canada by province
| Jurisdiction | Vacation after 1 year | Next tier | Vacation pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saskatchewan | 3 weeks | 4 weeks after 10 years | 5.77% then 7.69% |
| Quebec | 2 weeks | 3 weeks after 3 years | 4% then 6% |
| Federal jurisdiction | 2 weeks | 3 wks after 5 years, 4 wks after 10 years | 4%, 6% then 8% |
| Ontario | 2 weeks | 3 weeks after 5 years | 4% then 6% |
| British Columbia | 2 weeks | 3 weeks after 5 years | 4% then 6% |
| Alberta | 2 weeks | 3 weeks after 5 years | 4% then 6% |
| Manitoba | 2 weeks | 3 weeks after 5 years | 4% then 6% |
| Prince Edward Island | 2 weeks | 3 weeks after 5 years | 4% then 6% |
| Northwest Territories | 2 weeks | 3 weeks after 6 years | 4% then 6% |
| Nunavut | 2 weeks | 3 weeks after 6 years | 4% then 6% |
| Nova Scotia | 2 weeks | 3 weeks after 8 years | 4% then 6% |
| New Brunswick | 2 weeks | 3 weeks after 8 years | 4% then 6% |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 2 weeks | 3 weeks after 15 years | 4% then 6% |
| Yukon | 2 weeks | No additional tier | 4% |
The data above comes from provincial and territorial labour ministries. Sector-specific exclusions exist everywhere, notably in agriculture and for certain internships. Data current as of September 11, 2026.
What sets the regimes apart from one province to another
Four parameters explain most of the setup errors seen among employers operating in several provinces.
- The length-of-service threshold. To reach three weeks, it ranges from zero in Saskatchewan to fifteen years in Newfoundland and Labrador. A system set up on a five-year basis underpays employees in Quebec and Saskatchewan.
- The vacation pay calculation basis. It varies by jurisdiction. Alberta excludes overtime and general holiday pay, while British Columbia uses a broad definition of earnings.
- When it’s paid. Vacation pay can be paid before the vacation, on every paycheque or when the employee leaves, depending on the province and the agreement in place.
- Paid sick days. Some jurisdictions provide none, while others grant up to ten per year.
Weeks of vacation by length of service
The dominant two-then-three-week model
Eight jurisdictions use the same structure: two weeks after one year of continuous service, then three weeks from a certain length-of-service threshold.
That threshold is set at five years in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and the federal regime. The federal regime stands out by adding a third tier: four weeks after ten years of service.
Saskatchewan and Quebec, the exceptions
Saskatchewan is the costliest exception to overlook. Employees there get three weeks of vacation from the first year, with vacation pay of 5.77%, or three fifty-seconds of their wages. After ten years, they move to four weeks and 7.69%.
A payroll system set at the standard 4% rate therefore underpays every Saskatchewan employee from the day they’re hired.
Quebec moves its tier up to three years instead of five. The province also provides for progressive accumulation in the first year, at a rate of one day per full month of service, up to a maximum of two weeks.
Provinces with later tiers
Nova Scotia and New Brunswick wait eight years before granting a third week. Newfoundland and Labrador pushes the threshold to fifteen years, the longest in the country.
Prince Edward Island was part of this group until June 30, 2026. The overhaul of its Employment Standards Act lowered the threshold from eight to five years, instantly moving part of its long-serving staff to an additional week.
Yukon stands apart with two weeks and no additional tier provided by law.
Vacation pay and calculation basis
The general rule is simple. Two weeks correspond to 4% of earnings, three weeks to 6%, and four weeks to 8%. Saskatchewan calculates differently, as a fraction of weeks out of fifty-two.
The difficulty comes from the definition of earnings. Each jurisdiction sets its own list of what’s included in the calculation, and the differences between provinces are real.
Alberta uses a narrow basis that excludes overtime and general holiday pay. British Columbia, on the other hand, uses a broad definition of total wages that includes commissions, bonuses and statutory holiday pay.
An employer who applies the same formula across the country is therefore wrong in at least one province, even with the right percentage.
Accumulated vacation pay remains owing when the employee leaves, whether or not they took their vacation. It’s a debt that stays on file, not a benefit that expires.
Vacation time and vacation pay follow two separate logics. Vacation time generally has to be taken within twelve months after the end of the reference year, and the employer can set the dates if no agreement is reached.
Vacation pay, on the other hand, is practically never lost. An employee who didn’t take their weeks keeps their right to the amount, which turns the balance into an accounting liability if tracking is approximate.
This distinction explains a good share of the complaints filed with employment standards offices. The employer believes the balance has expired, when only the right to take the time off had.
Sick leave and short-term absences
Jurisdictions that provide paid days
The federal regime is the most generous in the country, with ten paid sick days per year, earned at a rate of one day per month after thirty days of service.
British Columbia grants five paid days after ninety days of employment, plus three unpaid days.
Quebec works differently. The CNESST provides ten days of absence per year for illness or family obligations, the first two of which are paid after three months of continuous service. These two days cover all reasons, not just illness.
Prince Edward Island introduced a progressive system on June 30, 2026. Employees get four unpaid days after thirty days of employment, then one paid day after one year, two after two years and three after three years.
Jurisdictions with no paid days
Ontario and Alberta remain the two largest provinces with no paid sick leave required by law. Ontario grants three unpaid days per year, and Alberta five unpaid days after ninety days of employment.
Employers in these provinces often offer paid days through an internal policy or collective agreement, but nothing requires them to do so.
These rules can be set up by province or territory with a leave management tool, which then applies the right number of days to each employee’s file.
The shift toward 27 weeks of extended medical leave
A fundamental shift reshaped the landscape between 2025 and 2026. Provinces have aligned on a common length of twenty-seven weeks of unpaid, job-protected medical leave, matching the length of Employment Insurance sickness benefits.
Ontario led the way with its long-term illness leave, in effect since June 19, 2025. British Columbia followed in November 2025. Alberta and Saskatchewan made the change on January 1, 2026, with Alberta going from sixteen to twenty-seven weeks.
Quebec is the exception, with twenty-six weeks over a twelve-month period, a difference of just one week but one that matters when calculating a return date.
Family responsibility and bereavement leave
Quebec grants ten days of absence per year for obligations related to the care, health or education of a child, or to act as a caregiver for a family member. Two of these days are paid.
In the event of a death, the CNESST provides five days of absence for the death of a spouse, child, parent, brother or sister. The first two are paid, and the other three are unpaid.
Elsewhere in the country, the three-day threshold dominates, but it’s most often unpaid. British Columbia and Alberta grant three unpaid days. The federal regime stands out by providing paid days for employees with three months of service.
The practical lesson for an employer operating in several provinces is this: the number of days varies little from one province to another, but who pays varies enormously.
Managing vacation and leave in Canada properly
Vacation and leave in Canada create two separate risks for employers. The first is financial, when a misconfigured vacation pay percentage accumulates for years. The second is operational, when a 27-week job-protected absence comes up and the schedule isn’t ready to absorb the gap.
Organizations that manage shift-based teams benefit from seeing leave banks and planned absences while the schedule is being built. Our article on employee scheduling for growing teams explains the approach, and our article on statutory holidays in Canada completes the picture of paid absences.
Discover our leave management software, which centralizes time-off requests, accumulated banks and the transfer to payroll for teams spread across several jurisdictions. Book a demo to learn more.
FAQ
How many weeks of vacation are mandatory in Canada?
The minimum vacation entitlement in Canada is two weeks after one year of continuous service in most jurisdictions. Saskatchewan grants three weeks from the first year, making it the major exception in the country. The move to three weeks then happens after three years in Quebec, five years in Ontario and Alberta, and fifteen years in Newfoundland and Labrador.
How is vacation pay calculated?
Vacation pay is a percentage of earnings: 4% for two weeks, 6% for three and 8% for four. Saskatchewan instead applies 5.77% and 7.69%. However, the calculation basis varies by province: Alberta excludes overtime and general holiday pay, while British Columbia uses a much broader definition of eligible earnings.
Are sick days paid in Canada?
It depends entirely on the jurisdiction where the employee works. The federal regime grants ten paid days per year, British Columbia five days and Quebec two. Ontario and Alberta don’t require any paid days and only provide unpaid job-protected absences. Since June 2026, Prince Edward Island has had a progressive system leading to three paid days after three years of continuous service.
How many days of bereavement leave must an employer grant?
The minimum is around three days in most Canadian jurisdictions. Quebec stands out with five days for the death of a close family member, the first two of which are paid by the employer. Elsewhere in the country, these days are generally unpaid, except under the federal regime, which provides paid days for employees with at least three months of continuous service.
