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Vacation Pay Calculator (Canada)

Work out statutory vacation pay by province and length of service, including Quebec's earlier step to 6%.

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Vacation pay
 
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What is the minimum vacation pay in Canada?

4% of gross earnings (two weeks) in most provinces, rising to 6% (three weeks) after five years. Quebec reaches 6% at three years, and Saskatchewan starts at three weeks.

Where Compono fits

Vacation entitlement is the easy half. Whether people actually take the leave, and come back better for it, is the half that shows up in engagement and turnover. Compono Engage reads whether your teams are recovering or quietly running down, so leave becomes something you manage rather than something you administer.

See how it works

How it's calculated

Statutory vacation pay is a percentage of gross earnings. In Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta it is 4% (two weeks) rising to 6% (three weeks) after five years of service. Quebec is the outlier: 6% and three weeks arrive at three years, so a rule of "6% at five years" understates Quebec. These are statutory minimums and many employers pay more. A few provincial quirks matter: Ontario accrues 4% from the first hour worked, Alberta has no vacation time entitlement in the first year although the 4% pay still accrues, and Quebec gives one day per full month up to two weeks under a year. Saskatchewan, not covered here, is more generous again at three weeks from the start. For a salaried employee vacation pay is usually already inside the salary as paid time off, so this calculator is most useful for hourly, casual and commission workers where the percentage is genuinely added. Around 94% of employees in Canada are provincially regulated; federally regulated employers follow the Canada Labour Code instead. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

New to the term? Read the plain-English definition of vacation pay in Canada in the HR Glossary.

Common questions

When does vacation pay increase to 6%?

After five years of service in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. After three years in Quebec. Check your province, because the thresholds genuinely differ.

Does vacation pay apply to salaried employees?

For salaried staff it is usually already inside the salary as paid time off, so it is not an extra cost. It matters most for hourly, casual and commission workers, where the percentage is added to earnings.

Are these minimums or the whole picture?

Minimums. Many employers offer more, and a contract or collective agreement can be more generous than the statutory floor, never less.

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 or your own adviser. Last reviewed July 2026.