Statutory holidays in Canada, also known as general or stat holidays, provide employees with paid time off to recognize national, cultural or religious occasions. As an employer in Saskatchewan, you must understand your statutory holiday obligations for 2024.
This extensive guide covers everything Saskatchewan employers need to know, including:
Saskatchewan has 10 statutory holidays each calendar year that employers must provide as paid days off for eligible employees.
Here are the official statutory holiday dates in Saskatchewan for 2024:
| Statutory Holiday | 2024 Date |
| New Year’s Day | January 1 (Monday) |
| Family Day | February 19 (Monday) |
| Good Friday | April 7 (Friday) |
| Victoria Day | May 22 (Monday) |
| Canada Day | July 3 (Monday) |
| Saskatchewan Day | August 7 (Monday) |
| Labour Day | September 4 (Monday) |
| Thanksgiving Day | October 9 (Monday) |
| Remembrance Day | November 11 (Saturday) |
| Christmas Day | December 25 (Monday) |
Please note that Easter Monday, Boxing Day (December 26) and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30) are not considered statutory holidays in Saskatchewan, Canada.
Saskatchewan has broad eligibility requirements for statutory holiday pay. Per the Saskatchewan Employment Act, all full-time or part-time employees qualify for stat pay regardless of their length of tenure or how they are paid (hourly, salary, commission, etc).
There are no minimum service requirements for holiday pay eligibility. Even new employees who have worked less than four weeks leading up to the stat are entitled to pro-rated holiday pay based on wages earned to date.
The only exceptions are self-employed contractors, who are not considered employees under the legislation.
Determining the correct statutory holiday pay rate for each employee is crucial. Here are the standard calculation formulas Saskatchewan employers must follow:
Most employees are entitled to 5% of their gross wages, excluding overtime but including vacation pay, earned in the four weeks immediately before the statutory holiday.
For hourly employees in the construction industry, statutory holiday pay is calculated as 4% of gross wages, excluding overtime and vacation pay, earned in the calendar year leading up to the holiday.
Construction employers must pay out accrued statutory holiday pay to eligible employees on or before December 31 of each year.
New employees who have worked fewer than four weeks before a statutory holiday are still entitled to pro-rated holiday pay.
For these employees, stat pay is calculated as 5% of the regular wages earned to date.
The only exception is if an employee’s termination date falls before the statutory holiday. In this case, they would not qualify for stat pay.
Employees required to work on a general holiday in Saskatchewan receive 1.5X their regular wage rate for all hours worked, in addition to their statutory holiday pay.
This premium pay equals the employee’s standard hourly wage multiplied by 1.5.
Employers cannot substitute another day off instead of paying the premium statutory holiday pay.
Employees who work overtime beyond their regular scheduled hours on the statutory holiday are entitled to both premium pay and overtime pay.
Overtime pay is calculated at 1.5X their regular hourly wage for any hours worked over 8 hours up to 12 hours and 2X their regular wage for any hours over 12 in a day.
Some employers are unsure of obligations when a statutory holiday falls on an employee’s regular day off.
In these cases, eligible employees must still receive their regular day’s statutory holiday pay, as outlined in the Saskatchewan Employment Standards Handbook. However, they would not qualify for any premium pay.
Saskatchewan employers can substitute the next working day as the statutory holiday when it falls on a Saturday or Sunday:
The one exception is Canada Day – if it falls on a Sunday, federal law requires it be observed on the following Monday.
When a substitute day is provided, eligible employees receive their regular statutory holiday pay but do not qualify for premium pay unless required to work that day.
Here is a summary of the substitute day rules:
| Statutory Holiday Falls On | Substitute Day |
| Saturday | None |
| Sunday (closed) | Next Monday |
| Sunday (open) | Same Sunday |
| Canada Day on Sunday | Next Monday |
Statutory holiday pay obligations do not disappear when an employment relationship ends. Here are important termination considerations:
If an employee’s last day is before the statutory holiday, they are not entitled to stat pay.
If an employee is terminated after a statutory holiday, they must still receive pay for that holiday. Even if the termination falls in the 4 weeks used to calculate entitlement, the employee must receive stat pay.
When a termination notice overlaps with a statutory holiday, the employee remains eligible for stat pay and cannot be required to work the holiday without consent. If the employee agrees in writing to work the stat, they must receive premium pay.
To summarize, these are some key takeaways for employers regarding Saskatchewan’s statutory holidays in 2024:
The 10 statutory holidays in Saskatchewan for 2024 are:
New Year's Day (January 1)
Family Day (February 19)
Good Friday (April 7)
Victoria Day (May 22)
Canada Day (July 3)
Saskatchewan Day (August 7)
Labour Day (September 4)
Thanksgiving Day (October 9)
Remembrance Day (November 11)
Christmas Day (December 25)
Regular statutory holiday pay is calculated as 5% of gross wages in the 4 weeks prior to the holiday. For construction industry employees paid hourly, it is 4% of gross wages in the calendar year prior.
Yes, all employees are eligible for statutory holiday pay immediately after being hired, regardless of full/part-time status or how they are paid. The only exceptions are self-employed contractors.
If the holiday falls on a Saturday, it is not moved. If it falls on a Sunday and the business is closed Sundays, it moves to the next Monday. If the business is open Sundays, the holiday remains on Sunday.
Employees terminated before the holiday are not entitled to the stat pay. Employees terminated after the holiday must still receive stat pay, even if they were terminated in the 4-week calculation period.
Yes, employees required to work on a statutory holiday must receive premium pay of 1.5 times their regular wage for all hours worked, in addition to the regular statutory holiday pay.
Yes, part-time employees are entitled to statutory holiday pay on the same basis as full-time employees in Saskatchewan.
Construction employers must pay out accrued statutory holiday pay to eligible construction employees on or before December 31 each year, rather than on the holiday.
If employees work overtime on a statutory holiday, they must receive both premium pay (1.5x regular wage) as well as overtime pay for any hours over 8 in a day or 40 in a week.
The best resources are Saskatchewan's Employment Standards Act and the Employment Standards Handbook available on the provincial government website. The Employment Standards Contact Centre can also answer questions.
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