Ontario Statutory Holidays 2026
| Holiday | 2026 Date |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thursday, January 1 |
| Family Day | Monday, February 16 |
| Good Friday | Friday, April 3 |
| Victoria Day | Monday, May 18 |
| Canada Day | Wednesday, July 1 |
| Labour Day | Monday, September 7 |
| Thanksgiving Day | Monday, October 12 |
| Christmas Day | Friday, December 25 |
| Boxing Day | Saturday, December 26 |
Source: Government of Ontario, Your guide to the Employment Standards Act: Public holidays
Unlike most provinces, Ontario’s ESA includes Boxing Day as a public holiday.
Days That Are Not Statutory Holidays in Ontario
These days are often mistaken for stat holidays, but they are not public holidays under Ontario’s ESA:
| Day | 2026 date | Status in Ontario |
|---|---|---|
| Easter Monday | Monday, April 6 | Not an ESA public holiday |
| Civic Holiday | Monday, August 3 | Not an ESA public holiday, although some employers give the day off |
| National Day for Truth and Reconciliation | Wednesday, September 30 | Not an ESA public holiday; a general holiday under the Canada Labour Code for federally regulated employees |
| Remembrance Day | Wednesday, November 11 | Not an ESA public holiday; a general holiday under the Canada Labour Code for federally regulated employees |
Your employment contract, collective agreement or workplace policy may give you any of these days off. If so, that entitlement comes from the contract, agreement or policy, not the ESA.
Federally regulated employees, for example in banking, airlines, telecommunications and interprovincial transportation, follow the general holidays under the Canada Labour Code, not Ontario’s list.
Who Qualifies for Public Holiday Pay?
Most Ontario employees qualify for public holiday entitlements, whether they are full-time, part-time, permanent or on a fixed-term contract, and including recently hired employees.
Generally, an employee can lose the entitlement if, without reasonable cause, they fail to work all of their last regularly scheduled shift before the holiday, or all of their first regularly scheduled shift after it. An employee who agrees or is required to work on the holiday may also lose certain entitlements if they fail, without reasonable cause, to work the agreed or required shift.
Some occupations have special rules or exemptions.
How Is Public Holiday Pay Calculated in Ontario?
Public holiday pay = (regular wages earned + vacation pay payable in the 4 work weeks before the work week of the holiday) ÷ 20
Example: You earned $3,200 in regular wages in the four work weeks before the holiday week, and no vacation pay was payable. Your public holiday pay is $3,200 ÷ 20 = $160.
“Regular wages” do not include overtime pay or premium pay.
Working on a Statutory Holiday
For most employees, working on a public holiday requires an electronic or written agreement. An employee who agrees to work is generally entitled to regular wages for the hours worked plus a substitute holiday with public holiday pay. Alternatively, if the employee and employer agree electronically or in writing, the employee can receive public holiday pay plus premium pay of at least 1.5 times their regular rate for each hour worked, without a substitute day off.
Special rules apply in certain businesses: hotels, motels and tourist resorts; restaurants and taverns; hospitals and nursing homes; and continuous operations. In specified circumstances, employees in these workplaces can be required to work a public holiday without agreeing to do so, and different rules determine the compensation they receive. See Ontario’s full public holiday rules.
When a Holiday Falls on a Weekend or Day Off: Boxing Day 2026
In 2026, Boxing Day falls on a Saturday.
If a public holiday falls on a day you don’t normally work, or during your vacation, you are generally entitled to a substitute holiday with public holiday pay. The substitute day generally must be given within three months, or within 12 months if you agree electronically or in writing. With your electronic or written agreement, your employer can instead pay you public holiday pay for the day without giving a substitute day off.
This does not mean that Monday, December 28 automatically becomes every Ontario employee’s statutory holiday. Your entitlement depends on the ESA substitute holiday rules and your work schedule.
Can You Be Fired or Punished Over a Statutory Holiday?
No. The ESA prohibits reprisal. An employer can’t fire, suspend, demote, discipline, threaten, or reduce the pay or hours of an employee for asking about or exercising ESA rights, including:
- taking a public holiday off
- asking for proper public holiday pay or premium pay
- refusing to work a public holiday where you aren’t required to
- asking your employer to comply with the ESA
Employers rarely state retaliation openly. It may be presented as a scheduling change, a “performance issue” or “restructuring.” Timing, internal communications, sudden discipline and inconsistent explanations can all be relevant evidence.
The burden is on the employer. In an ESA proceeding alleging reprisal, the statutory burden is generally on the employer to prove that it did not commit a reprisal.
What to Do If Your Holiday Rights Are Ignored
- Keep records. Save your schedules, pay stubs, and any emails or texts about the holiday, your time off or your pay.
- Raise it in writing. Ask your employer to confirm how your holiday pay was calculated.
- Know your options. You can file an ESA claim with the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. A claim generally must be filed within two years.
- If you’ve been terminated, get advice before choosing a legal route. Filing certain ESA claims, particularly claims for termination or severance pay, can affect your ability to pursue a wrongful dismissal lawsuit arising from the same termination. The rules do not apply identically to every type of ESA complaint, including reprisal complaints, so get advice before deciding which route to take.
When Workplace Issues Overlap With Disability or Injury
If you’re off work because of illness, injury or disability, holiday pay and time-off issues can arise alongside questions about short-term disability or long-term disability benefits. If your disability insurer has denied or terminated your benefits, Kotak Law can help you understand your options. If you were hurt in an accident, learn more about personal injury claims.
Book a free consultation about a disability or personal injury claim, or call 1-888-GO-KOTAK.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many statutory holidays does Ontario have in 2026?
Nine: New Year’s Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Is September 30 a stat holiday in Ontario?
No. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is not one of Ontario’s nine public holidays under the ESA. It is a general holiday under the Canada Labour Code for federally regulated employees. Some Ontario employers provide the day off under a contract, collective agreement or workplace policy.
Is the Civic Holiday (August long weekend) a stat holiday in Ontario?
No. Some employers give the day off, but it isn’t a public holiday under the ESA.
Is Remembrance Day a stat holiday in Ontario?
No. It is a general holiday under the Canada Labour Code for federally regulated employees, but not under Ontario’s ESA.
Is Easter Monday a stat holiday in Ontario?
No. Good Friday is a public holiday, but Easter Monday is not.
What happens because Boxing Day 2026 falls on a Saturday?
If you don’t normally work Saturdays, you are generally entitled to a substitute holiday with public holiday pay, or public holiday pay for the day if you agree electronically or in writing. Monday, December 28 does not automatically become a holiday for everyone.
Do I have to work the day immediately before and after the holiday?
No. The rule applies to your last regularly scheduled workday before the holiday and your first regularly scheduled workday after it. Those days don’t necessarily immediately precede or follow the holiday.
Do part-time employees get stat holiday pay in Ontario?
Yes. Most part-time, casual and temporary employees qualify, unless they fail without reasonable cause to work their last scheduled shift before the holiday or their first scheduled shift after it.
Can my employer make me work on a stat holiday?
For most employees, only if you agree electronically or in writing. Special rules allow employers in certain businesses, such as hotels, restaurants, hospitals, nursing homes and continuous operations, to require work in specified circumstances.
Can I be fired for taking a stat holiday off?
No. Punishing or terminating an employee for exercising ESA rights is prohibited reprisal. In an ESA proceeding alleging reprisal, the burden is generally on the employer to prove it did not commit a reprisal.
When will the 2027 Ontario statutory holidays be published?
Ontario’s public holidays follow fixed rules, so the 2027 dates are already set. We will publish our 2027 guide before the new year.
About the Author
Nainesh Kotak
Founder of Kotak Personal Injury Law
Canadian Long-Term Disability Lawyer
Nainesh Kotak is the founder and principal lawyer of Kotak Law. He was called to the bar in Ontario in 1994 and is also called to the bar in Alberta and British Columbia. His practice includes long-term disability and personal injury claims. Nainesh is Vice President of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association (OTLA) and a former Chair of OTLA’s Long-Term Disability Section.
