Canada Leave & Pay Calculators
Calculate vacation pay, statutory holiday pay, vacation entitlement, vacation accrual, sick leave and parental leave with province-aware tools built around Canadian employment standards.
Canada leave and pay facts worth knowing first
These examples show why jurisdiction matters. The statutory minimum can change with province, years of service, employment type and whether the workplace is federally regulated.
- Ontario vacation pay
- 4% < 5 yrs
6% at 5+ - Ontario vacation time
- 2 wks → 3 wks
- Ontario public holidays
- 9 per year
- Ontario sick leave
- 3 unpaid days
- Federal vacation
- 4% → 6% → 8%
Province or federal rules: which one should you use?
The most common Canada leave-calculation mistake is choosing the right formula for the wrong jurisdiction.
Provincial or territorial employment standards
If your workplace is not federally regulated, start with the rules for the province or territory in which you work. That rule set normally controls minimum vacation, public-holiday and job-protected leave rights.
- Ontario employees generally use the Ontario Employment Standards Act.
- British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec and Saskatchewan each set their own vacation rules.
- An employer policy or collective agreement can provide more than the statutory minimum.
Canada Labour Code
Federally regulated workplaces follow federal labour standards rather than the province’s ordinary employment-standards formula for covered matters.
- Examples include banks, telecommunications and broadcasting.
- Interprovincial and international transportation can also fall under federal jurisdiction.
- Federal annual vacation rises from 2 weeks/4% to 3 weeks/6% at five years and 4 weeks/8% at ten years.
Choose a Canada leave calculator
Each tool focuses on one calculation so the inputs, formula, jurisdiction and source stay clear.
Vacation Pay Calculator
Estimate minimum vacation pay from earnings, jurisdiction and service threshold.
Calculate vacation payStatutory Holiday Pay Calculator
Estimate public or statutory holiday pay using the jurisdiction-specific averaging rule.
Calculate holiday payVacation Entitlement Calculator
Estimate minimum vacation time by jurisdiction and completed service.
Check entitlementVacation Accrual Calculator
Track an estimated vacation balance through an entitlement period using the selected rule.
Estimate accrualSick Leave Calculator
Compare paid or unpaid statutory sick-leave entitlements where the jurisdiction provides them.
Check sick leaveParental Leave Calculator
Estimate maternity or parental timing and benefit periods while keeping job-protected leave and EI benefits conceptually separate.
Estimate parental leaveHow to use the Canada calculators
The calculation is easier to check when you start with the jurisdiction rather than the percentage.
Choose where the work is regulated
Select the province, territory or federal jurisdiction that actually governs the employment relationship.
Enter service, earnings and dates
Use the facts the formula needs. Vacation percentage, years of service and reference periods can all change the result.
Read the formula and source
Check the rate applied, the threshold used and the linked government source before relying on the estimate.
Vacation time and vacation pay: selected jurisdictions compared
This table is a quick orientation, not a substitute for the full jurisdiction-specific rule. It shows the statutory minimum patterns most likely to change a vacation calculation.
| Jurisdiction | Initial minimum | Higher tier | Important threshold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 2 weeks / 4% | 3 weeks / 6% | 5 years of employment |
| British Columbia | 2 weeks after 12 months / 4% vacation pay | 3 weeks / 6% | 5 consecutive years |
| Alberta | 2 weeks / 4% | 3 weeks / 6% | 5 consecutive years |
| Quebec | 2 weeks / 4% after 1 year | 3 weeks / 6% | 3 years of uninterrupted service |
| Saskatchewan | 3 weeks / 5.77% | 4 weeks / 7.69% | 10 years with the same employer |
| Federal (Canada Labour Code) | 2 weeks / 4% | 3 weeks / 6%, then 4 weeks / 8% | 5 years, then 10 years |
Why this matters: a Canada-wide calculator should never silently apply Ontario’s 4%/6% schedule to every user. Saskatchewan starts higher and increases again at ten years; Quebec reaches its 6% tier earlier; federal employees have a separate 8% tier after ten years.
Vacation pay, vacation time and statutory holiday pay are different calculations
Vacation time is the minimum time away from work an employee is entitled to after meeting the jurisdiction’s service rules. Vacation pay is the amount attached to that vacation entitlement and is often calculated as a percentage of defined wages. The two are related, but they are not interchangeable.
Statutory or public holiday pay uses another formula. For example, Ontario has nine public holidays and generally calculates public-holiday pay from regular wages earned in the four work weeks before the holiday week, plus qualifying vacation pay payable in that period, divided by 20. That is why a vacation-pay calculator should not be reused for a statutory-holiday calculation.
Job-protected leave and government income-replacement benefits are also separate concepts. A provincial employment-standards law can protect a period away from work, while Employment Insurance or Quebec’s separate parental insurance system can determine whether money is payable during part of that absence.
Why Ontario is useful as an example — but not a Canada-wide default
Ontario’s vacation rule is simple enough to illustrate the basic structure: employees with less than five years of employment are generally entitled to at least two weeks of vacation time after a vacation entitlement year and at least 4% vacation pay. At five years or more, the minimum rises to three weeks and 6%.
That pattern is common in several jurisdictions, but it is not universal. Quebec reaches its three-week/6% tier after three years of uninterrupted service. Saskatchewan starts with three weeks and 5.77%, then increases to four weeks and 7.69% after ten years. Federal labour standards add a third vacation tier at ten years. The calculator therefore needs to ask the jurisdiction before applying the percentage.
Recent rule and rate changes worth knowing
These changes do not affect every calculator, but they matter when leave timing, benefits or Ontario job-protected absences are involved.
EI maximum insurable earnings increased to $68,900
For claims beginning on or after 28 December 2025, the maximum weekly EI benefit is $729; the maximum weekly extended parental benefit is $437.
Ontario job-seeking leave came into force
Eligible employees who receive notice of a mass termination can take up to three unpaid, job-protected days during the notice period for specified job-seeking activities.
Ontario long-term illness leave came into force
Eligible ESA-covered employees with at least 13 consecutive weeks of employment can receive up to 27 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 52-week period for a serious medical condition supported by the required certificate.
Ontario restricted medical-note requirements for ESA sick leave
Employers cannot require a certificate from a qualified health practitioner as the evidence for taking the three-day ESA sick leave, although reasonable evidence rules still apply.
Five mistakes that can change a Canada leave calculation
A clean calculator can still return the wrong real-world answer if the jurisdiction or wage basis is wrong.
Using Ontario as a national default
Ontario is a useful example, not a Canada-wide rule. Saskatchewan, Quebec and the federal sector have thresholds that materially differ.
Confusing vacation time with vacation pay
Weeks of leave and the percentage paid are connected but legally distinct entitlements.
Ignoring the service threshold
The applicable rate may change once the employee reaches a specific anniversary, and the timing of that change can matter.
Using the wrong earnings base
Overtime, bonuses, commissions, termination-related amounts and other payments are not treated identically in every jurisdiction.
Treating EI benefits as the same thing as leave entitlement
Job protection and income-replacement benefits can come from different laws or programs and should be checked separately.
Written and reviewed by Ruby Miller
Ruby Miller is the named author and reviewer for this page. The statutory figures are checked against government and labour-authority sources, and jurisdiction differences are shown instead of forcing one province’s formula across Canada.
Canada leave calculator FAQs
Short answers to the questions most likely to change which formula you should use.
Does every province use the same vacation pay rate?
No. Several provinces use a 4% then 6% structure, but the service threshold and starting entitlement can differ. Saskatchewan, for example, uses 5.77% for the first nine years and 7.69% after ten years with the same employer.
How do I know whether provincial or federal labour standards apply?
Most employees are provincially or territorially regulated. Federal labour standards apply to employees in federally regulated industries and workplaces, such as banks, telecommunications, broadcasting and certain interprovincial or international transportation operations.
Is vacation pay the same as paid vacation time?
No. Vacation time is the entitlement to time away from work; vacation pay is the money attached to that entitlement. A jurisdiction can define the timing and calculation of each separately.
How much vacation pay does an Ontario employee receive?
The ESA minimum is generally 4% of gross wages excluding vacation pay for employees with less than five years of employment, and 6% for employees with five years or more.
How many public holidays does Ontario have?
Ontario has nine public holidays under the Employment Standards Act. Eligibility and pay rules still need to be checked because special rules and exemptions can apply.
Does Saskatchewan really use 5.77% vacation pay?
Yes. The Saskatchewan minimum is 3/52 of wages, or 5.77%, during the first nine years. After completing ten years with the same employer, the entitlement increases to four weeks and 4/52 of wages, or 7.69%.
What is the 2026 maximum weekly EI benefit?
For claims beginning on or after 28 December 2025, the maximum weekly EI benefit is $729. The maximum weekly extended parental benefit is $437. Eligibility and actual benefit amounts depend on the EI rules and the claimant’s insurable earnings.
Are these calculators legal or payroll advice?
No. They provide educational estimates based on published rules. A contract, collective agreement, exemption, industry rule or disputed employment fact can change the legal or payroll result.
LeaveCalculators.com is independent and not a government service. Results are informational estimates based on the inputs and cited published rules. Always confirm the applicable province, territory, federal jurisdiction, employment contract and any collective agreement before relying on a result.
Leave calculators for other countries
Choose where you work so the calculator starts with the correct statutory framework.