Alberta Statutory Holidays 2024

If you do not work in a federally regulated workplace in Alberta (banks, railroads, postal and courier services, interprovincial transport, telecommunications, the federal public service, the armed forces), you are covered by the Employment Standards Code (“ESC”). The ESC sets standards governing overtime, vacation, and statutory holidays.

There are special provisions to the rules outlined in the ESC for ambulance attendants, caregivers, construction workers, domestic employees, logging and lumber workers, firefighters, teachers, taxicab drivers, salespersons and direct salespeople, among others.

Statutory holidays in Alberta are paid general holidays during which most employees are entitled to a day off. Alberta has nine general holidays:

• New Year’s Day: Monday, January 1, 2024
• Alberta Family Day: Monday, February 19, 2024
• Good Friday: Friday, March 29, 2024
• Victoria Day: Monday, May 20, 2024
• Canada Day: Monday, July 1, 2024
• Labour Day: Monday, September 2, 2024
• Thanksgiving Day: Monday, October 14, 2024
• Remembrance Day: Monday, November 11, 2024
• Christmas Day: Wednesday, December 25, 2024

There are 4 recognized optional general holidays in addition to the statutory holidays. Employers are not obliged to provide a day off for these days, though many do:

• Easter Monday: April 1, 2024
• Heritage Day: Monday, August 5, 2024
• Boxing Day: Thursday, December 26, 2024
• National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: Monday, September 30, 2024

Who qualifies for statutory holiday entitlements?

An employee is entitled to general holiday pay if they have worked for the same employer for at least 30 workdays in the 12 months prior to the holiday.

Most employees are entitled to general holidays and receive general holiday pay if 1) a general holiday is a regular day of work, or 2) they have worked on a general holiday that is not a regular day of work.

Employees not eligible for general holidays and holiday pay include:

• salespersons selling the following: automobiles, recreational vehicles, trucks, buses, manufactured homes, farm machinery, and heavy-duty construction and road equipment; investments, stocks or bonds; real estate and homes built by a home builder; insurance (when paid by commission);
• extras in a film or video production
• counsellors or instructors at an educational or recreational camp that is operated on a charitable or not-for-profit basis for: children, handicapped individuals or religious purposes
• salespersons engaged in direct selling for licensed direct sellers
• teachers

An employee is not entitled to general holiday pay when they:

• do not work on a general holiday when scheduled to do so
• are absent from work without the consent of the employer on the employee’s last regular working day preceding, or the first regular working day following the general holiday. This is sometimes known as a “first and last rule”.

How is statutory holiday pay calculated in Alberta?

If employees do not work on a general holiday, they are paid their average daily wage. If the stat holiday falls on a non-regular day of work and an employee doesn’t work on that day, they are not entitled to general holiday pay. Employees who work a general holiday are entitled to either:

• pay of 1.5 times what they would normally earn for the hours worked in addition to an amount that is their average daily wage, or
• their standard wage rate for hours worked plus a day off at a future date and an amount that is their average daily wage for that day off.

To calculate the average daily wage, employers can choose to divide the total wages earned by the number of days worked in either:

• the four weeks immediately preceding the general holiday, or
• the four weeks ending on the last day of the pay period that immediately preceded the general holiday.

How to manage statutory holiday entitlements

Managing statutory holiday pay is essential if employers do not want to find themselves sanctioned with administrative penalties under the ESC.

HR Proactive Inc. can assist you with creating a comprehensive statutory holiday policy to include in your employee handbook.  We have been helping organizations understand provincial and federal employment guidelines for over 25 years.