In Quebec, statutory holiday pay follows a single rule: 1/20 of the wages earned during the four complete weeks of pay before the week of the holiday. It applies to full-time, part-time and on-call employees. Your policy or collective agreement can offer more, never less.
Updated October 9, 2026, based on the Act respecting labour standards and the National Holiday Act as of August 12, 2026.
What are the statutory holidays in Quebec?​
The Act respecting labour standards lists seven (section 60), and the National Holiday Act adds June 24 (section 2).
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thursday, January 1 | Friday, January 1 |
| Good Friday or Easter Monday, at the employer's option | Friday, April 3 or Monday, April 6 | Friday, March 26 or Monday, March 29 |
| Monday before May 25 (National Patriots' Day) | Monday, May 18 | Monday, May 24 |
| National Holiday (Fête nationale) | Wednesday, June 24 | Thursday, June 24 |
| Canada Day | Wednesday, July 1 | Thursday, July 1 |
| Labour Day | Monday, September 7 | Monday, September 6 |
| Thanksgiving | Monday, October 12 | Monday, October 11 |
| Christmas Day | Friday, December 25 | Saturday, December 25 |
When July 1 falls on a Sunday, the holiday moves to July 2. September 30 and November 11 are not statutory holidays in Quebec. For other provinces, see our article on statutory holidays in Canada.
Who is entitled to statutory holiday pay?​
Every employee, whatever their status. The Act sets no minimum length of service. The only condition is not to have been absent without the employer's authorization or without valid cause on the working day before or after the holiday (section 65). The National Holiday Act has no such condition for June 24.
How do you calculate statutory holiday pay?​
The indemnity is 1/20 of the wages earned during the four complete weeks of pay before the week of the holiday, excluding overtime (section 62). According to the CNESST, vacation pay received during those four weeks counts as wages, and so does the indemnity for a holiday that falls within that window: the June 24 indemnity is included in the July 1 calculation. For an employee paid in whole or in part on commission, it is 1/60 of the wages for the 12 complete weeks of pay.
Example: a coordinator works 35 hours a week at $25 an hour. The pay week runs from Sunday to Saturday. For Thanksgiving on Monday, October 12, 2026, the four weeks used run from September 13 to October 10.
- Wages for the four weeks: 35 hours × $25 × 4 = $3,500
- Indemnity: $3,500 ÷ 20 = $175
What about overtime?​
Take it out of the calculation. According to the CNESST, overtime means hours beyond the employee's regular work week or, failing that, the 40 hours set by the Act.
Example: a program leader paid $24 an hour worked 40, 40, 46 and 40 hours during the four weeks. The 6 hours beyond 40 are left out. Wages used: 160 hours × $24 = $3,840. Indemnity: $3,840 ÷ 20 = $192.
For each holiday, write down the exact dates of the four complete weeks of pay used: they depend on the day your pay week starts.
See it with your own rules
Feuille de temps credits each statutory holiday in hours using the method your organization chooses, including 1/20 of the hours paid in the previous four weeks, overtime excluded.
How do you calculate it for part-time or on-call staff?​
The method does not change: 1/20 of what the employee actually earned during the four weeks, whatever number of days they usually work.
Example: Amina, a part-time support worker, is paid $22 an hour. During the four weeks used, she worked 21, 14, 21 and 28 hours.
- Wages for the four weeks: 84 hours × $22 = $1,848
- Indemnity: $1,848 ÷ 20 = $92.40
Here the indemnity equals 4.2 hours of pay, while one of her usual days is 7 hours.
An employee hired two weeks ago receives 1/20 of two weeks of wages: the divisor stays at 20. An on-call employee who received no wages during the four weeks gets an indemnity of $0.
Do not pay a part-time employee's holiday as a "regular day": calculate 1/20 from the pay of the four weeks.
What do you pay when someone works on the holiday?​
The employer pays the hours worked at the usual rate and, in addition, pays the holiday indemnity or grants a one-day compensatory holiday (section 63). The choice belongs to the employer. The compensatory holiday is taken within three weeks before or after the holiday, unless a collective agreement provides a longer period. The Act does not require a premium rate for hours worked on a holiday.
Example: the coordinator from the earlier example works 6 hours on October 12, 2026. She receives 6 × $25 = $150 for those hours, plus the $175 indemnity, for $325. Or she receives $150 and takes a day off paid $175 within three weeks.
A paid statutory holiday not worked counts as a day of work for the 40-hour overtime threshold (section 56). That threshold is covered in our article on overtime in Quebec.
What if the holiday falls during vacation or on a day off?​
The employer pays the indemnity, or grants a one-day compensatory holiday on a date agreed with the employee or set by a collective agreement (section 64). This comes up often with part-time staff: an employee who never works Mondays is still entitled to the Labour Day indemnity.
What special rules apply to June 24?​
The indemnity is calculated the same way, over the four weeks before the week of June 24 (National Holiday Act, section 4). The rules for the compensatory holiday differ:
- Employee who works on June 24, where work is not interrupted that day: the indemnity, or a compensatory holiday taken on the working day before or after June 24 (section 5).
- June 24 falls on a day the employee does not normally work: a compensatory holiday taken on the working day before or after; if the employee is paid on a time basis, on the basis of production or on any other basis, the employer can pay the indemnity instead (section 6).
- Employee on vacation on June 24: the compensatory holiday is taken on a date agreed with the employer (section 6).
- June 24 on a Sunday: the holiday moves to June 25 for an employee who does not normally work on Sundays (section 2).
Sources​
- Act respecting labour standards, LégisQuébec, as of August 12, 2026
- National Holiday Act, LégisQuébec, as of August 12, 2026
- Calculating statutory holiday pay, CNESST (French)
- Interpretation of section 62, CNESST (French)
Feuille de temps​
Feuille de temps is timesheet software built for non-profits. Once we have set up your rules with you, it keeps your organization's list of statutory holidays, calculates holiday pay with the method you choose, and prepares reports for payroll. Both methods are described in [Configuring the Public Holiday Indemnity Calculation](/docs/tutorial-admin/indemnite-jour-ferie).Frequently asked questions
How is statutory holiday pay calculated in Quebec?
Add up the wages earned during the four complete weeks of pay before the week of the holiday, leaving out overtime, then divide by 20. The method is the same for full-time and part-time employees.
Do part-time employees get statutory holidays in Quebec?
Yes. The Act sets no minimum length of service and makes no distinction for part-time work. The indemnity is 1/20 of what the employee earned during the four reference weeks, so it is smaller when they worked fewer hours.
What do you pay an employee who works on a statutory holiday in Quebec?
Their wages for the hours worked, plus the holiday indemnity. The employer can replace the indemnity with a one-day compensatory holiday, taken within three weeks before or after the holiday.
What happens when a statutory holiday falls during vacation?
The employer pays the holiday indemnity, or grants a one-day compensatory holiday on a date agreed with the employee. The same rule applies when the holiday falls on a day the employee does not normally work.
How many statutory holidays are there in Quebec?
Eight: January 1, Good Friday or Easter Monday at the employer's option, the Monday before May 25, June 24, July 1, Labour Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.