You can maximize your vacation time in 2026 by planning around statutory holidays and aligning these days with periods of paid leave.
Awareness of your employment rights as a worker in Canada and vacation allotment is crucial in determining how to plan your time off in the new year.
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In this article, we will cover how much vacation time you’re entitled to, Canada’s statutory holidays, and even how to combine these for extended time off.
Paid vacation entitlement
In Canada, you are entitled to paid vacation time, though there are some considerations.
The amount of paid vacation time employees are entitled to receive—by law—depends on how long they’ve worked, continuously, with the same employer.
You qualify for paid vacation once you’ve worked for a full year, and additional vacation entitlement accrues with each subsequent year of work.
And your vacation pay is calculated as a percentage of the gross wages that you earn during each qualifying year of employment.
| One year of employment | Five years of consecutive employment | 10 years of consecutive employment |
|---|---|---|
| *2 weeks (4% of earnings) | 3 weeks (6% of earnings) | 4 weeks (8% of earnings) |
*This applies to all provinces except Saskatchewan, which mandates that employees receive three weeks after completing their first year of employment.
This is what your employer is legally obligated to provide you by law, though certain employers may choose to provide employees with additional paid vacation time.
You can take paid vacation time in increments or all at once, provided you and your employer mutually agree, and you generally need to request time off at least two weeks in advance.
As for whether vacation time from one year can carry over to the next—yes, but usually only within a legal deadline (so it can’t be banked indefinitely), and typically depends on the type of employee you are (federally regulated vs not) and provincial standards.
If your employer offers extra vacation above the minimum, carryover rules for the “extra” days often come from the workplace policy (caps, expiry, payout rules), so always check the handbook.
There are also rules allowing vacation time to be waived or postponed by written agreement for a specific year, with conditions.
Note: Federally regulated employees are also entitled to five days of personal leave per calendar year—with the first three days being paid following three continuous months of employment with the same employer. For non-federally regulated employees, the allotment of paid personal days is dependent on provincial labour laws and one’s workplace.
You can use these days in combination with statutory holidays and vacation time to plan your 2026 holidays.
Statutory holidays
Canada’s statutory holidays are days recognized by law when many employees are entitled to a paid day off, or extra compensation if they work. How statutory holidays work depends on the jurisdiction in which you live and what industry you’re in.
Most employment rules are set by provinces and territories, while federally regulated workplaces (like banks, airlines, and telecom) follow federal standards (the Canada Labour Code). Because of this, the list of statutory holidays and the pay rules can vary across the country.
Several holidays are commonly recognized across the country, such as New Year’s Day, Canada Day, and Christmas Day.
For other holidays, it varies by jurisdiction. Family Day, for instance, is a statutory holiday in some provinces but not all. Treatment of Easter-related holidays can also differ, as can whether certain observances are statutory or simply customary workplace closures.
There are also eligibility rules. In many regions, you need to meet certain conditions, like working your scheduled shifts right before and after the holiday (unless you have a good reason). If the stat holiday lands on a day you normally don’t work, your employer often gives you a substitute day off.
Since the details vary so much, the safest move is to check your province or territory’s employment standards website (or the Canada Labour Code if you’re federally regulated).
Scheduling vacation time around statutory holidays
Many people “stack” vacation days beside statutory holidays to turn one paid holiday into a much longer break—as long as their employer approves the dates.
If you work a typical Monday to Friday schedule, you can often turn a single statutory holiday into a nine-day break by using only four vacation days.
Generally, the trick is to “wrap” your vacation around the holiday, so it connects two weekends.
For example – One statutory holiday, falling on a Monday:
You book Tuesday to Friday off.
You’re off: Saturday to Sunday (weekend) + Monday (statutory holiday) + Tuesday to Friday (vacation) + Saturday to Sunday (weekend). That’s nine consecutive days off, from Saturday through the following Sunday—with only four vacation days used.
Bonus: Two statutory holidays that fall on a Thursday and Friday—for example, Christmas Day and Boxing Day—can get you nine days off while using only three vacation days.
You book Monday through Wednesday off using vacation time.
You’re off: Saturday to Sunday (weekend) + Monday to Wednesday (vacation) + Thursday and Friday (statutory holidays) + Saturday and Sunday (weekend).
By understanding which statutory holidays you’re entitled to—national and jurisdiction-dependent—and your vacation rights, you can set yourself up for success when planning your 2026 vacation(s).
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