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Free tools › Annual leave by country

Annual leave: Canada vs United Kingdom

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

How does annual leave compare between Canada and UK?

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. United Kingdom: 5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year, capped at 28 days, and employers can count bank holidays towards it. At five years' service that means 3 weeks (Ontario) in Canada and 5.6 weeks in the UK.

Canada vs United Kingdom, side by side

CanadaUnited Kingdom
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.5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year, capped at 28 days, and employers can count bank holidays towards it.
At 1 year2 weeks (Ontario)5.6 weeks
At 5 years3 weeks (Ontario)5.6 weeks
At 10 years3 weeks (Ontario; 4 weeks federally regulated)5.6 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: 5.6 weeks (28-day cap); Bank holidays: 8 in England and Wales, countable within the 5.6 weeks; Part-time: Pro rata

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.

United Kingdom

Almost all UK workers get 5.6 weeks of paid holiday, which is 28 days on a five-day week and stays 28 for six-day workers because of the cap. There is no statutory right to bank holidays off; the 8 in England and Wales can be counted inside the 5.6 weeks. Since April 2026 employers must keep holiday pay records for six years.

  • Entitlement5.6 weeks (28-day cap)
  • Bank holidays8 in England and Wales, countable within the 5.6 weeks
  • Part-timePro rata
  • Scotland has 9 bank holidays and Northern Ireland 10, so the countable days differ by nation.

Source: GOV.UK (Working Time Regulations 1998). 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 (UK). 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
United KingdomGOV.UKWorking Time Regulations 1998Checked 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 the UK?

5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year, capped at 28 days, and employers can count bank holidays towards it. Almost all UK workers get 5.6 weeks of paid holiday, which is 28 days on a five-day week and stays 28 for six-day workers because of the cap.

Where can I check the source figures?

The sources section below links the Canada and the UK 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, GOV.UK or your own adviser. Last reviewed July 2026.