Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
Say you earn $25 an hour and work an eight-hour shift on an Ontario statutory holiday. You collect $300 of premium pay on top of the $200 holiday pay you’d get sitting at home, and $224.44 of that premium lands in your account after tax. In Quebec the same shift adds $200 before tax and $136.69 after, since the rules there pay regular wages plus the holiday indemnity.
Pick your province, enter your wage and the hours you’d work, and see what the shift is really worth.
What do you get paid for working a stat holiday?
Most provinces pay your holiday pay plus time and a half for the hours you work, but a few differ. In most Ontario jobs you have to agree in writing to work, and you get either premium pay or regular wages with a substitute day off. British Columbia pays an average day’s pay plus 1.5 times your wage for the first 12 hours and double after that. Quebec pays regular wages for the day plus an indemnity or a paid day off, with no premium rate. The Ontario public holidays guide and the BC statutory holidays page spell out the details.
How much of the extra pay do you keep after tax?
You keep about 68% to 75% of it, because the extra lands on top of your normal income and gets taxed at your top rate. At $25 an hour for eight hours, the Ontario premium of $300 loses $75.56 to income tax, CPP and EI, which leaves $224.44. Saskatchewan leaves $209.33 from the same $300, and Quebec keeps $136.69 of its $200 in wages.
| Province | Pay multiple for hours worked | Extra pay before tax | Extra take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 1.5 times | $300 | $224.44 |
| Saskatchewan | 1.5 times | $300 | $209.33 |
| Quebec | 1 times | $200 | $136.69 |
Is a day off in lieu better than premium pay?
It depends on whether you want cash or time. A day off in lieu pays nothing extra: you work the holiday at regular wages and take another paid day later, so your pay for the year stays the same. Ontario allows it by written agreement, Alberta lets the employer choose, and a few other jurisdictions offer it too. If you need the money, take the premium. If you’d rather have the long weekend later, take the day.
Who doesn’t qualify for holiday pay?
Eligibility is where people get caught. British Columbia asks for 30 calendar days of employment and wages on 15 of the 30 days before the holiday. Alberta asks for 30 workdays in the past 12 months. Ontario can withhold the pay if you skip your last scheduled day before the holiday or your first scheduled day after. Federally regulated employers follow the federal holiday rules on Canada.ca.
Where could these numbers be off?
Be extra careful with Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador. Several official pages couldn’t be read in full, and Prince Edward Island brought in a new Employment Standards Act on 30 June 2026. Contracts and collective agreements can pay more than the legal minimum. To see your normal cheque first, use the take-home pay calculator. The holiday pay calculator covers the standard holiday amount, and the overtime pay calculator handles hours past the weekly limit.
Where does this information come from?
Holiday rules come from provincial and federal employment standards sources such as the Ontario guide, the BC Employment Standards Branch, CNESST and Canada.ca; the take-home figures come from the site’s own pay engine. Checked in October 2026. This is an independent information site: we provide no services, we do not represent the CRA or any organization, and we do not guarantee that anything here is accurate or current. We accept no liability for decisions based on it. Check the official source before you rely on it. See the full disclaimer.
Frequently asked questions
Do I get paid if I stay home on a stat holiday?
If you qualify, yes. At $25 an hour and eight hours a day, Ontario holiday pay is $200 before tax, worked out as one twentieth of your wages from the four weeks before. Qualifying rules differ by province.
Can my employer make me work a stat holiday?
It depends on your industry and your agreement. Ontario needs your written agreement outside special industries such as hotels, restaurants and hospitals. Refusal rights vary by province and collective agreements can add protection, so check with your employment standards office.
Does working a holiday count toward overtime?
It can. Hours on the holiday may be added to your week and push you into overtime, and some jurisdictions cut the weekly overtime limit in a holiday week. Check your province's rule before assuming premium pay is the whole story.
Is the premium taxed more than regular pay?
No, it's taxed at your usual marginal rate. Withholding on one cheque can look high, but the final tax is settled on your yearly income. At $25 an hour in Ontario, you keep about 75% of the $300 premium.