Lesson 13: Holidays and Holiday Pay

General Holidays and General Holiday Pay

In Alberta, the following are general holidays:

  • New Year's Day
  • Alberta Family Day
  • Good Friday
  • Victoria Day
  • Canada Day

  • Labour Day
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Remembrance Day
  • Christmas Day
  • any other day designated as a general holiday by the employer








Workers who have worked for an employer 30 days in the 12 month period before the holiday are entitled to general holidays and general holiday pay.

If a worker works an irregular schedule and there is doubt about whether a general holiday falls on a day that would normally have been a work day, review the 9-week period preceding the work week in which the general holiday occurs. If the worker worked on the same day of the week as the day that the general holiday falls in at least 5 of the 9 weeks, the general holiday is to be considered a day that would normally have been a work day for the worker.

When the holiday falls on a regular work day and the worker is not required to work, the worker will receive a regular day's pay. If workers are required to work on the holiday and the holiday is a normal day of work, they must receive 1.5 times their regular rate of wages for each hour worked in addition to receiving a regular day's pay.

Alternatively, they may be paid their regular rate for each hour worked on the holiday and receive another regular working day off with pay. If a worker is on a regular day off and is required to work on the holiday, the worker will receive 1.5 times the regular rate of pay for all hours worked.

If a general holiday falls during a worker's annual vacation, the employer must extend the worker's vacation by one day with pay. Alternatively, by agreement, the employer must provide an additional day off with pay before the worker's next annual vacation.


*Workers in the construction or brush cleaning industries are subject to different rules.

For the most current information on Holidays and Holiday pay, click here.