Skip to main content
Submit a request
  1. Velocity Global
  2. Public Help Center
  3. Canada
  4. Canada Insurance and Benefits

Search

Paid Time Off (PTO) and Leave Regulations in Canada Internal

Gretchen Brooker
  • Updated

What is the statutory minimum annual leave in Canada?

Vacation entitlements and vacation pay vary depending on the province the employee lives in. Employees must use, or be paid out, their minimum entitlement each completed entitlement year (Jan 1 - Dec 31), unless otherwise specified in their employment agreement.

Below are the statutory minimum vacation entitlements and vacation pay for each province. 

Province Vacation Entitlement Vacation Pay
Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario
  • After one year of service: two weeks
  • After five years of service: three weeks
  • 4% for the first 5 years of service
  • 6% after 5 years of service
New Brunswick
  • Less than eight years of service: two weeks
  • Eight years of service or more: three weeks 
  • 4% for less than eight years of service
  • 6% for eight or more years of service
Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Less than 15 years of service: two weeks
  • 15 years or more of service: three weeks
  • 4% for the first 15 years of service
  • 6% after 15 years of service
Northwest Territories, Nunavut
  • After one year of service: two weeks
  • After six years of service: three weeks
  • 4% for the first five years of service
  • 6% for over five years of service
Nova Scotia
  • After 12 months of service: two weeks
  • After eight years of service: three weeks
  • 4% for the first seven years of service
  • 6% after seven years of service
Prince Edward Island
  • Less than eight years of service: two weeks
  • Eight years or more of service: three weeks
  • 4% for the first eight years of service
  • 6% after eight years of service
Quebec
  • Less than one year of service: one day per month and not exceeding two weeks
  • Between one year and three years of service: two weeks
  • Three years of service and over: three weeks
  • 4% for the first eight years of service
  • 6% after eight years of service
Saskatchewan
  • After one year of service: three weeks
  • After 10 years of service: four weeks
  • 5.77% for the first 9 years of service
  • 7.69% for 10 years of service and beyond
Yukon
  • After one year of service: two weeks
  • 4%

 

What are the maternity and parental leave entitlements in Canada?

Maternity leave is only available to the individual who is away from work due to pregnancy or having recently given birth. The leave entitlement is up to 15 weeks of job-protected leave. 

During this time the employee can apply for Employment Insurance benefits from the Canadian government, which are 55% of wages up to a weekly maximum of CAD 650. The employer is not required to pay the employee during this leave. 

Maternity leave benefits can be followed by parental leave benefits, which are available to the parents of a newborn or newly adopted child and provide up to 18 months of job-protected leave.

This means an employer must allow their employee to go on leave and keep their job for them for when they return. It is not required for the employer to pay their employee during this time. 

Parents can choose between standard or extended parental leave, which they share. With standard parental leave (12 months), the benefit is paid at a rate of 55% of earnings (CAD 650 weekly maximum) for up to 40 weeks, with no parent receiving more than 35 weeks. With extended parental leave (18 months), the benefit is paid at a rate of 33% of earnings (CAD 390 weekly maximum) for up to 69 weeks, with no parent receiving more than 61 weeks.

 

What is the sick leave entitlement in Canada?

While federal guidelines state that employers may not dismiss an employee for being on non-work-related sick leave, there is no requirement for this sick leave to be paid. It is common, however, for employers to make provisions for paid sick leave by implementing a sick leave policy. 

In Quebec, employees are entitled to 26 weeks of unpaid sick leave for serious injury or illness in every 12-month period. 

If an employee goes on sick leave, there are a number of government programs that provide payments to employees, such as the federal Employment Insurance program and provincial workers’ compensation (for work-related injury or illness). 

Velocity Global’s standard practice is for supported employees to apply for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits for any short-term period of sickness, and when those have been exhausted (after 26 weeks), the benefits from the Canada Life Assurance long-term disability plan will kick in (if an employee is enrolled in that plan). EI benefits can be topped up at the discretion of the employer.

 

What other types of leave are there in Canada?

There are many different types of leave available to employees in Canada, depending on the province. These leaves can include bereavement, compassionate care, personal emergency, voting, and organ donation leaves, among several others.

Most of these leaves are unpaid, but some may need to be paid for by the employer, or may be covered by the government. For any questions regarding other types of leave in Canada, please reach out to Velocity Global through your normal process, and we will help you.

Related articles