Ontario Statutory Holiday Pay Calculator

Estimate your Ontario public holiday pay according to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA). Standard 4-week lookback formula with vacation pay payable and premium shift pay.

ESA 2000 Section 24 Formula

Ontario Minimum Wage ($17.20/hr)

First & Last Shift Rule Verification

Real-World Ontario Workplace Scenarios

How the Ontario Employment Standards Act applies to hourly, part-time, and shift workers across common industry situations:

Hospitality & Coffee

Toronto Barista Working Canada Day

A barista in downtown Toronto works 24 hours per week at $17.50/hour. In the 4 work weeks prior to Canada Day (July 1), she earned $1,680.00 in regular wages. On Canada Day, she works a 6-hour shift.

Entitlement: $84.00 Base Stat Pay ($1,680 ÷ 20) + $157.50 Premium Pay (6 hrs × $26.25) = $241.50 Total Payout.

Logistics & Warehousing

Brampton Warehouse Worker (Scheduled Day Off)

A full-time picker at a Brampton distribution centre works a Monday-to-Thursday 40-hour schedule ($22.00/hr, earning $3,520 in the 4 weeks prior). Good Friday falls on his regular scheduled day off.

Entitlement: Under the Ontario ESA, he is entitled to a substitute day off with stat pay OR full public holiday pay of $176.00 ($3,520 ÷ 20).

Retail & Department Store

Retail Associate & The "First & Last" Shift Rule

A seasonal sales associate at Canadian Tire in Mississauga worked their scheduled shift on Christmas Eve (Dec 24), but called in sick on Dec 27 without reasonable medical cause after Boxing Day.

Entitlement: Missing the first scheduled shift after the public holiday without reasonable cause forfeits statutory holiday pay for both Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

How Ontario Statutory Holiday Pay is Calculated

Under Section 24 of the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000, public holiday pay is calculated by adding all regular wages earned in the 4 work weeks before the work week in which the public holiday falls, adding all vacation pay payable with respect to that period, and dividing the grand total by 20.

Public Holiday Pay = (Regular Wages in 4 Work Weeks Prior + Vacation Pay Payable) ÷ 20

What is Included vs. Excluded in Ontario Lookback Wages?

Included: Regular hourly wages, salary, regular shift differentials, commissions, and vacation pay payable with respect to the 4 work weeks.

Excluded: Overtime pay, previous public holiday premium pay, tips or discretionary bonuses, and termination/severance pay.

Recognized Statutory Public Holidays in Ontario

Ontario recognizes 9 statutory public holidays under the ESA:

New Year's Day Family Day Good Friday Victoria Day Canada Day Labour Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day Boxing Day

*Note: Civic Holiday (first Monday in August), Easter Monday, and Remembrance Day (November 11) are NOT statutory public holidays under Ontario's Employment Standards Act, though individual employers or collective bargaining agreements may offer them.

Frequently Asked Questions: Ontario Stat Holiday Pay

Yes. Under the Ontario ESA, part-time, temporary, and seasonal workers qualify for public holiday pay starting on their very first day of employment. There is no minimum service requirement (unlike British Columbia's 30-day rule). Their holiday pay is pro-rated according to the hours and wages earned in the 4 weeks preceding the holiday week divided by 20.

By default under the ESA, an employee who qualifies and works on a public holiday is entitled to their regular Public Holiday Pay PLUS Premium Pay (1.5× their regular hourly wage) for every hour worked. Alternatively, if agreed upon in writing between employer and employee, the employee can be paid regular wages for hours worked and receive a substitute day off with full public holiday pay within 3 months (or up to 12 months if agreed upon in writing).

To qualify for public holiday pay, an employee must work their entire regularly scheduled shift immediately preceding the holiday and their entire regularly scheduled shift immediately following the holiday, unless they have "reasonable cause" for missing all or part of the shift. Reasonable cause generally includes illness, injury, bereavement, or an emergency recognized under the ESA.

Yes. Ontario is one of the few jurisdictions in Canada where Boxing Day (December 26) is an official paid statutory holiday under provincial employment standards law. Both Christmas Day and Boxing Day qualify for statutory public holiday pay.