Alberta Employment Standards Code

Alberta General Holiday Pay Calculator

Estimate statutory general holiday pay under Alberta employment legislation. Test your schedule with the "5 of the 9 Rule" and calculate average daily wage options with applicable premium pay.

5 of 9 Regular Workday Rule
Average Daily Wage (4-Week or 9-Week)
Alberta Minimum Wage ($15.00/hr)

Paycheque & Shift Details

Employment Standards Compliant
$
$
$
Include vacation pay paid on each cheque (e.g., 4% or 6%) or vacation pay received during the 4 work weeks prior to the holiday.
$
Estimated Entitlement Ontario (ON)

Estimated Total Holiday Pay

$160.00
Base Stat Pay
Holiday Premium (1.5×)
Regular Shift Pay
Base Statutory Holiday Pay: $160.00
Holiday Premium Pay: $0.00
Ontario ESA: Subject to Ontario "First and Last" scheduled shift rule.
Disclaimer: Results are estimates based on standard statutory provisions. Your entitlements may vary based on collective agreements, written contracts, or specific industry exemptions.

Real-World Alberta Workplace Scenarios

How the Alberta Employment Standards Code treats regular vs. irregular workdays:

Energy & Industrial

Calgary Field Tech on Alberta Family Day

A maintenance tech works Monday through Friday ($30.00/hr). Because Monday is a regular day of work (worked all 9 previous Mondays), Family Day is a regular workday. In the 4 weeks prior, he earned $4,800.

Entitlement (Not Worked): 5% of 4-week wages = $240.00 Average Daily Wage.
Retail & Part-Time

Edmonton Retail Worker (Irregular Monday)

A retail associate in Edmonton worked only 2 of the last 9 Mondays. On Labour Day (Monday), she is scheduled and works an 8-hour shift at $16.00/hr.

Entitlement: Fails the 5 of 9 test (irregular day). Under Alberta rules, she receives 1.5× regular wage for hours worked ($24.00 × 8 = $192.00), but no average daily wage.
Optional Holidays

Boxing Day & Heritage Day in Alberta

An employee in Red Deer wonders whether they are legally entitled to statutory holiday pay for Boxing Day or August Heritage Day.

In Alberta, Easter Monday, Heritage Day, and Boxing Day are optional general holidays. Employers are not legally required to pay general holiday pay unless agreed in their contract.

The Alberta "5 of the 9 Rule" & Average Daily Wage Explained

Under the Alberta Employment Standards Code, general holiday pay entitlement depends on whether the general holiday falls on a regular day of work:

  • 5 of 9 Workday Test: If an employee has worked on the same day of the week as the holiday for at least 5 of the 9 weeks preceding the work week of the holiday, that day is deemed a regular day of work.
  • Method 1 (4-Week 5% Lookback): 5% of the employee's eligible wages earned in the 4 weeks immediately preceding the general holiday.
  • Method 2 (9-Week Daily Average): Total wages earned in the 9 weeks preceding the holiday divided by the number of days worked in that 9-week period.
  • Working on a Regular Workday: An employee who qualifies and works on a general holiday is entitled to their Average Daily Wage PLUS 1.5× regular wages for hours worked (or regular wages for hours worked plus a future paid day off).
  • Working on an Irregular Workday: If the holiday is not a regular day of work but the employee works, they receive 1.5× regular wages for hours worked (no average daily wage).