How to Use the Holiday Pay Calculator Ontario
- Enter your regular wages earned in the 4 work weeks before the week of the holiday.
- Add vacation pay paid on those wages, if any. The hint shows what 4% and 6% would be.
- Choose whether you had the day off, worked for premium pay at 1.5x, or worked for a substitute day.
- Read your total pay for the holiday, with public holiday pay and pay for hours worked below.
Start with your regular wages from the four work weeks before the week that contains the public holiday. This holiday pay calculator ontario workers use treats that window exactly as the Employment Standards Act describes.
Next, add any vacation pay paid for those same weeks. If your employer adds 4% vacation pay to each cheque, enter it, and the hint under the boxes shows what 4% and 6% would be.
Finally, choose whether you have the day off or work it. For work, type your hourly rate and hours worked. The stat holiday pay calculator shows public holiday pay, pay for hours and the total.
The ESA Public Holiday Pay Formula
Ontario uses one formula for nearly all workers covered by the Employment Standards Act, whether full-time, part-time, hourly or salaried employees. The calculation looks back at recent earnings rather than at a fixed daily wage.
Premium pay = 1.5 × regular rate × hours worked on the holiday
Regular wages include your normal pay but leave out overtime, premium pay, tips and discretionary bonuses. Vacation pay paid for those weeks is added back in, which makes Ontario quite different from most other provinces.
The total is divided by 20 because four weeks of a five-day schedule contain 20 working days. The answer is the average daily pay of a full-time worker, so lighter schedules earn less holiday pay.
Worked Example: $25 an Hour, 40 Hours a Week
Suppose your hourly rate is $25 and you work 40 hours a week. Your regular wages in the four weeks before the holiday week are $4,000, and 4% vacation pay on each cheque adds $160.
Public holiday pay is ($4,000 + $160) divided by 20, which equals $208.00. If you take the day off, that $208.00 is the total pay for the holiday, paid on your regular payday like normal wages.
Working 8 hours with premium pay adds 1.5 times $25 times 8, or $300, for a total of $508.00. With a substitute day instead, you earn $200 for the hours and $208 later, or $408.00.
| On the holiday you | Holiday pay | Pay for hours | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Have the day off | $208.00 | None | $208.00 |
| Work 8 h, premium pay | $208.00 | $300.00 | $508.00 |
| Work 8 h, substitute day | $208.00 (on the substitute day) | $200.00 | $408.00 |
If You Work on the Public Holiday
When you agree to work a public holiday, or hold a job where holiday work can be required, your employer must pay you under one of the two options set out in the Act itself.
Under the first option, you earn your regular rate for every hour worked plus a substitute day off with public holiday pay. It must fall within 3 months, or 12 months by a written agreement.
Under the second option, you receive public holiday pay for the day plus premium pay of 1.5 times your regular rate for each hour. This premium option applies only when you have agreed in writing.
- Option 1: regular rate for hours worked, plus a paid substitute day off.
- Option 2: public holiday pay, plus 1.5 times your rate for every hour worked.
Ontario Public Holidays and Days That Are Not
Ontario has nine public holidays under the ESA: New Year's Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. The table above lists the 2026 dates.
Several days people call statutory holidays are not on that list. The August Civic Holiday, Easter Monday, Remembrance Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation are not ESA public holidays anywhere in Ontario.
Some employers still give those days off with pay through a policy or contract. If your employment contract promises them, the employer owes that benefit, but the ESA formula only covers the nine listed holidays.
Who Qualifies for Public Holiday Pay
Most employees qualify, including part-time employees, and there is no minimum service rule, so new hires on probation can still qualify. Independent contractors are not employees under the Act and do not receive holiday pay.
You can lose public holiday pay if you miss your last scheduled shift before the holiday or your first scheduled shift after it without reasonable cause. Illness is the most common example of reasonable cause.
If a holiday lands on a non-working day or falls during vacation, you still get a substitute day off or holiday pay, depending on the situation. Some jobs, such as certain professionals, follow special rules.
Holiday Pay Elsewhere in Canada
This tool applies Ontario rules only. Anyone who is searching for a holiday pay calculator canada wide should know that each province writes its own statute, with different holiday lists, eligibility tests and pay formulas.
Federally regulated workers, such as those at banks, airlines and telecom companies, fall under the Canada Labour Code, which also uses a one-twentieth formula for its 10 general holidays, with overtime excluded from wages counted.
Manitoba and Saskatchewan instead pay 5% of wages from a recent period. A collective agreement can give more than the minimum, so union members should always carefully compare their contract with the result shown here.
Assumptions and Limits
The calculator follows the formula in the Ontario guide to the Employment Standards Act and assumes you entered your regular wages correctly, leaving out overtime, premium pay, tips and any earlier public holiday pay received.
It does not test whether you qualify, check special industry rules such as those for retail or hospitality, or apply better terms from your contract. Those questions need the full facts of your own job.
Treat the result as an estimate, not legal advice. If your pay looks wrong, raise it with your employer first, then contact the Ontario Ministry of Labour or your union representative for further practical guidance.
Frequently asked questions
How is stat holiday pay calculated in Ontario?
Add your regular wages and vacation pay from the four work weeks before the week of the holiday, then divide the total by 20. Overtime, tips and discretionary bonuses are left out of the regular wages figure.
Do part-time employees get holiday pay in Ontario?
Yes. Part-time employees use the same divide-by-20 formula and there is no minimum service requirement. Because their earnings in the four weeks are lower, their holiday pay is usually less than a full day's pay.
What do I get if I work on a stat holiday in Ontario?
Either your regular rate for the hours worked plus a paid substitute day off, or public holiday pay plus 1.5 times your regular rate for each hour. The second option needs your written agreement.
How many stat holidays are there in Ontario in 2026?
Nine: New Year's Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Civic Holiday, Easter Monday and Remembrance Day are not ESA public holidays.
What happens if a stat holiday falls on a weekend?
If the holiday lands on a day you would not normally work, such as a Saturday, you are entitled to a substitute day off with public holiday pay, or you can agree in writing to receive holiday pay instead.
Is Civic Holiday a stat holiday in Ontario?
No. The August Civic Holiday is not a public holiday under the Employment Standards Act, so holiday pay is owed only if your employer, contract or collective agreement provides it as an extra benefit.