Canada Day is occurring on Monday July 1st, 2024. Marking the anniversary of Canadian Confederation and the establishment of Canada as united country, it’s a day dedicated to celebrating the richness and diversity of Canadian culture. There are many activities and celebrations across the country, including public events, fireworks and concerts. Many people also choose to spend it with friends and family, especially when they have the day off from work.
Other 2024 statutory holidays include:
- January 1 – Monday: New Year’s Day
- February 19 – Monday: Family Day
- March 29 – Friday: Good Friday
- May 20 – Monday: Victoria Day
- July 1 – Monday: Canada Day
- September 2 – Monday: Labour Day
- October 14 – Monday: Thanksgiving
- December 25 – Wednesday: Christmas Day
- December 26 – Thursday: Boxing Day
Is July 1st A Holiday?
Canada Day is a statutory holiday in Ontario, Quebec, and every province and territory in Canada. A statutory holiday is created through legislation from federal, territorial or provincial governments. On these designated days, many employees are legally entitled to a paid day off from work or increased compensation for working. Government employees and many workers for private companies will have the day off.
What If You’re Working on Canada Day?
As public holiday, some privately-owned businesses can still require employees to work on Canada Day and other statutory holidays. For example, on July 1st it is not uncommon to find servers working at bars and restaurants. However, employees working on Canada Day must be compensated at a premium rate by their employers.
On 2024 statutory holidays, employees are entitled to their regular pay plus an additional 50% by law. For example, an employee who earns the current Ontario minimum wage of $16.55 an hour on a regular day will earn $24.82 ($16.55+$8.27) per hour for working on a 2024 statutory holiday. Another option that is legally available to employers to offer employees additional paid time off on regular working days in exchange for working on a stat holiday.
PLEASE NOTE
Please note that employers and employees should always discuss statutory holidays and vacation arrangements beforehand. Employees should give employers advance notice of days they will be taking off, and employers should have a publicly available calendar listing all confirmed days off. Open communication will help avoid any confusion regarding statutory holidays and days off from work.
Happy Canada Day to everyone celebrating!