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Free tools › Annual leave by country

Annual leave: Canada vs New Zealand

Statutory annual leave in Canada and New Zealand, side by side, with the primary source for every figure.

How does annual leave compare between Canada and New Zealand?

Canada: Ontario: 2 weeks' vacation (4% vacation pay), stepping to 3 weeks (6%) at 5 years, plus 9 public holidays. Quebec reaches 3 weeks at 3 years. New Zealand: 4 weeks' paid annual holidays after 12 months, plus up to 12 public holidays including Matariki. At five years' service that means 3 weeks (Ontario) in Canada and 4 weeks in New Zealand.

Canada vs New Zealand, side by side

CanadaNew Zealand
The ruleOntario: 2 weeks' vacation (4% vacation pay), stepping to 3 weeks (6%) at 5 years, plus 9 public holidays. Quebec reaches 3 weeks at 3 years.4 weeks' paid annual holidays after 12 months, plus up to 12 public holidays including Matariki.
At 1 year2 weeks (Ontario)4 weeks
At 5 years3 weeks (Ontario)4 weeks
At 10 years3 weeks (Ontario; 4 weeks federally regulated)4 weeks
Key numbersOntario: 2 weeks / 4%, then 3 weeks / 6% at 5 years; Quebec: 3 weeks / 6% from 3 years; Federal: 2 / 3 / 4 weeks at 1 / 5 / 10 yearsEntitlement: 4 weeks after 12 months; Public holidays: Up to 12 (11 national + 1 regional); Pay-as-you-go: 8% of gross, narrow eligibility

Canada

Ontario pairs vacation time with vacation pay as a percentage of gross wages: 2 weeks and 4% until the fifth anniversary, then 3 weeks and 6%. Quebec gets to the 3-week tier two years sooner, at 3 years' service, and Saskatchewan starts everyone at 3 weeks. Federally regulated employees add a third step, 4 weeks and 8% at 10 years, and observe 10 general holidays to Ontario's 9.

  • Ontario2 weeks / 4%, then 3 weeks / 6% at 5 years
  • Quebec3 weeks / 6% from 3 years
  • Federal2 / 3 / 4 weeks at 1 / 5 / 10 years
  • Public holidaysOntario 9; federal 10
Length of serviceEntitlement
Ontario, under 5 years2 weeks (4% of gross wages)
Ontario, 5 years or more3 weeks (6% of gross wages)
  • Vacation pay doubles as a payroll on-cost (4% to 6%), which the employer-costs page accounts for.
  • Province variation is real: quote Ontario and say so, never 'Canada gets 2 weeks'.

Source: Ontario ESA guide (3-week tier since 2018; Quebec per CNESST). Checked July 2026.

New Zealand

Every employee reaches 4 weeks of paid annual holidays at each 12-month anniversary. Public holidays top out at 12: 11 national days including Matariki, plus one regional anniversary day. Pay-as-you-go at 8% of gross is allowed only for genuine fixed-term roles under 12 months or truly irregular work, and calling someone casual is not enough on its own.

  • Entitlement4 weeks after 12 months
  • Public holidaysUp to 12 (11 national + 1 regional)
  • Pay-as-you-go8% of gross, narrow eligibility
  • The Holidays Act replacement (the Employment Leave Bill) is at select committee; once passed it takes effect only 24 months after assent, so current rules hold until roughly 2028-29.

Source: Employment New Zealand (Holidays Act 2003). Checked July 2026.

Hiring in both markets?

Put a full number on each side with the true-cost calculators: True cost of an employee (Canada) and True cost of an employee (New Zealand). The complete six-market picture is on the Annual leave by country page.

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from the government source for its market.

MarketSourceRule / effectiveVerified
CanadaOntario ESA guide3-week tier since 2018; Quebec per CNESSTChecked July 2026
New ZealandEmployment New ZealandHolidays Act 2003Checked July 2026
Where Compono fits

Comparing entitlements is the easy half of hiring across markets. The hard half is whether the person you hire in Sydney, Singapore or Seattle will actually work out, and that risk looks the same in every jurisdiction. Compono matches candidates on how they work, not just what the CV claims, so the hires behind these numbers hold up wherever you make them.

See how it works

Common questions

What is the rule on annual leave in Canada?

Ontario: 2 weeks' vacation (4% vacation pay), stepping to 3 weeks (6%) at 5 years, plus 9 public holidays. Quebec reaches 3 weeks at 3 years. Ontario pairs vacation time with vacation pay as a percentage of gross wages: 2 weeks and 4% until the fifth anniversary, then 3 weeks and 6%.

What is the rule on annual leave in New Zealand?

4 weeks' paid annual holidays after 12 months, plus up to 12 public holidays including Matariki. Every employee reaches 4 weeks of paid annual holidays at each 12-month anniversary.

Where can I check the source figures?

The sources section below links the Canada and New Zealand government pages every figure on this page was verified against in July 2026.

This page is general information, not legal advice. We check figures annually and update them on a best-efforts basis, but employment rules change and we cannot promise everything here is current or complete. Before you act on it, confirm the detail with your provincial employment standards office, Employment New Zealand or your own adviser. Last reviewed July 2026.