The year 2020 is coming to a close, and 2021 is right around the corner. For human resources and payroll professionals, this means a new year of Canadian holidays to keep track of. Most employees are entitled to take these holidays off with paid public holiday pay. Alternatively, some employees may have to work on holidays; however, they’ll be entitled to premium pay for all hours worked. If you manage payroll, it’s critical to check Canadian compliance with public holiday entitlements, offer days off as required and offer extra pay as needed.

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January

Friday, January 1, 2021, is New Year’s Day, a national holiday in Canada. Most employees will be entitled to a paid holiday day on this date.

February

While February 14, 2021, is Valentine’s Day, this is not a statutory holiday.

February 15, 2021, on the other hand, is a provincial holiday; however, it goes by many different names, depending on the province your workers work in. In PEI, it’s known as Islander Day, while it’s called Louis Riel Day in Manitoba. In Nova Scotia, it’s Heritage Day, while employees in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and New Brunswick celebrate Family Day on this date.

There is no leap year in February 2021. 

March

On Wednesday, March 17, we celebrate St. Patricks’ Day. However, this is not a statutory holiday

April

In this month, keep note that Friday, April 2 is Good Friday. This is a national paid holiday in every province except Quebec. In Quebec, Easter Monday is celebrated instead on April 5. 

May

While your employees may want time off for Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 9, this is not a statutory holiday. On Monday, May 24, however, employees in all provinces except New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador do get to celebrate the statutory holiday Victoria Day. 

June

Father’s day in 2021 is on Sunday, June 20. Just like Mother’s Day in May, this is not a statutory holiday. If you have employees in the Northwest Territories, however, take note that Monday, June 21 is Aboriginal Day. If you have employees working in Quebec, then you’ll need to note St. Jean Baptise Day on Thursday, June 24.

July

There’s only one statutory holiday to keep track of in July — Canada Day is celebrated nationally on July 1, 2021. This lands on a Thursday. Expect workers to likely take the Friday off as well to make it a four-day weekend.

August

Monday, August 2, 2021, is known as the Civic Holiday, but it’s only a statutory holiday in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Nunavut. 

September

Labour Day falls on September 6 in 2021, and it’s a national holiday celebrated in every province.

October

In every province except for New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia, Thanksgiving is a statutory holiday, which falls on Monday, October 11. Halloween is on Sunday, October 31, but this is not a statutory holiday.

November

Remembrance Day is a national holiday in all provinces except Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. November 11 falls on a Thursday in 2021.

December

In December, we have Christmas Day on Saturday, December 25, which is a national holiday, while Ontario also celebrates Boxing Day on Sunday, December 26. 

Good to note: When it falls on the weekend, employees are entitled to a holiday on the working day immediately preceding or following Christmas. Be sure to discuss with your employees which days you plan to be off around the holidays. 

When you have workers in multiple provinces, especially if you’re an international employer who’s not familiar with Canadian holidays, it can be overwhelming to ensure you comply with public holiday entitlements. Prevent scheduling and payroll mistakes around the holidays by outsourcing payroll and other HR tasks to a professional employer organization (PEO), an expert in Canadian employment compliance.