Thanksgiving Holiday Pay in Canada 2026: Who Gets Paid?

Thanksgiving Monday: Will You Be Paid?

Holiday pay depends on where you work, how long you have worked there, and the shifts around the holiday.

The short version

Thanksgiving is Monday, October 12, 2026.
It is a statutory holiday for federally regulated workplaces and in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec. In Nova Scotia and New Brunswick it is not a paid statutory holiday.
Whether you are paid can depend on how long you have worked there, and on whether you worked the shifts before and after the holiday.

The situation

The schedule is posted. Monday is Thanksgiving. Maybe your name is on it. Maybe it is not.

Either way, you are asking the same question: will I be paid for this day?

The answer is not the same in every province. Here is what the official government pages say for 2026. These are minimum rules. Your contract or a union agreement may give you more.

Where Thanksgiving is a statutory holiday

Federally regulated workplaces

Thanksgiving is one of 10 general holidays under federal labour standards.
Part-time employees are entitled to pay for the same general holidays as full-time employees. The pay is adjusted to the hours they work.
Holiday pay is at least 1/20 of the wages you earned in the 4 weeks before the week of the holiday, not counting overtime.
If you work that day, most employees are paid at least 1.5 times their regular rate for the hours worked, plus the holiday pay. Managers and professionals, and people in continuous operations, have different rules.

Ontario

Thanksgiving is one of 9 public holidays.
Full-time, part-time, permanent and term employees can qualify, no matter how recently they were hired.
To qualify, you generally need to work your last scheduled day before and your first scheduled day after the holiday, or have a reasonable cause for missing either. If you agreed or were required to work the holiday, you also need to work your whole shift.
Holiday pay is your regular wages from the 4 work weeks before the holiday's work week, plus the vacation pay owed on those wages, divided by 20. The Ontario guide gives this example: $2,400 in regular wages and no vacation pay is ($2,400 + $0) ÷ 20 = $120.
If you agree to work, you choose one of two options: holiday pay plus 1.5 times your pay for the hours worked, or regular pay for the hours worked plus another paid day off.
If you do not qualify for holiday pay, you are still paid 1.5 times your regular rate for the hours you work on the holiday.
Some workplaces, such as hotels, restaurants and hospitals, can require you to work the holiday.

Alberta

Thanksgiving is one of 9 general holidays.
You are not eligible if you worked fewer than 30 workdays for the same employer in the 12 months before the holiday. You can also lose the pay if you are absent when scheduled to work, or if you miss your last scheduled day before or your first scheduled day after the holiday without your employer's consent.
Pay is your average daily wage: your wages divided by the days you worked over a 4-week period, not counting overtime.
If you work on a regular workday, your employer chooses one of two options: 1.5 times your hourly rate plus your average daily wage, or your regular rate plus a paid day off later. If it is not a regular workday for you and you work, you are paid 1.5 times your hourly rate. If you do not work, no holiday pay is owed.

British Columbia

Thanksgiving is one of 11 statutory holidays in 2026.
You qualify if you have been employed for at least 30 calendar days before the holiday and you worked or earned wages on 15 of those 30 days.
Statutory holiday pay equals an average day's pay.
If your employer requires you to work, special rules apply under section 46 of the Employment Standards Act. Read them on the BC government page.
You and your employer may agree in writing to use a different day as the holiday.

Quebec

Thanksgiving is one of 8 statutory holidays.
Full-time and part-time workers are entitled whatever their status, including temporary, casual or on call, even if they have worked only a few days since they were hired.
You can lose the paid day if you are absent on the workday before or after the holiday without a valid reason beyond your control or your employer's authorization.
The pay is 1/20 of the wages you earned in the 4 complete weeks of pay before the week of the holiday, not counting overtime.
If you work, you are paid for the hours worked. Your employer must also pay the holiday indemnity or give you a paid day off on another date, within 3 weeks before or after the holiday.

Where Thanksgiving is not a paid statutory holiday

Nova Scotia: The province lists Thanksgiving Day as a retail closing day. It is not in the province's list of paid holidays. Employers may agree to give additional paid holidays.
New Brunswick: Thanksgiving is a prescribed day of rest, so retail businesses must close. It is not one of the province's 8 paid public holidays.
Other provinces and territories: We did not cover them here. Check your own government's employment standards page (links below).

Who is covered

Work permit holders. IRCC says temporary foreign workers are protected by Canada's labour laws. The holiday rules above come from your province or territory, or from the federal government if your employer is federally regulated.
Part-time and new workers. It depends on your province. Ontario and Quebec have no minimum time on the job. Alberta asks for 30 workdays in the past 12 months. British Columbia asks for 30 calendar days and work on 15 of them.

Where newcomers commonly go wrong

Assuming every province pays for Thanksgiving. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick do not treat it as a paid statutory holiday. Check yours.
Thinking new or part-time workers are not covered. Check your province's rule on time on the job. Ontario and Quebec set no minimum.
Skipping the shift before or after the holiday. In Ontario, Alberta and Quebec, that can cost you the holiday pay. Get approval first, in writing.
Expecting holiday pay to equal a normal day's wage. It is worked out from your recent earnings. Ontario, the federal rules and Quebec use 1/20 of your wages from the 4 weeks before the holiday week. Alberta uses your average daily wage. BC uses an average day's pay.

What to do before Monday

Find your rule. Open your province's employment standards page (links below) and search for "statutory holiday," "public holiday" or "general holiday."
Protect your pay. Do not miss your last scheduled shift before Monday, or your first shift after it, without your employer's approval.
Ask in writing. Send your manager or payroll a short message: "Am I scheduled on October 12? If I work, will I get premium pay or another paid day off?"
Read your pay stub. Look at the pay period that includes October 12. Find a line for holiday pay or premium pay. If it looks wrong, ask payroll first. Your province's employment standards office can answer questions after that.

Where to check

Ontario: Public holidays (ESA guide)
Alberta: General holidays and general holiday pay
British Columbia: Statutory holidays
Quebec: Statutory holidays (CNESST)
Federally regulated workplaces: General holidays
Every province and territory: Employment standards offices (Canada.ca). Federal labour standards phone line: 1-800-641-4049.

The bottom line

Thanksgiving Monday can be a paid day off, a premium-pay shift, or an unpaid day, depending on where you work. Finding out is quick: your province's page, your schedule, and one message to your manager. Do those three things before Monday.