July 1: Paid Holiday, Even on a Saturday 

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As with Quebec’s National Holiday, July 1 falls on a Saturday this year. But no matter which day of the week it is, workers are entitled to time off or compensation. 

Before you read this article… 

The rules explained below apply only to workers who meet the definition of employee under a law called the Act respecting labour standards.
The article explains your minimum entitlement under the law. Your employer may give you more than the required minimum.

What are your rights? 

If you are usually off on Saturday, your employer will have to pay you compensation or offer you a paid holiday some other time. If your employer offers you a day off, you’ll need to come to an agreement with them about the chosen date. 

If your employer decides to pay you compensation in money, it will be equivalent to one day’s pay if you have not been absent from work in the previous four weeks. 

More specifically, the holiday pay represents 1/20 of the wages you earned in the four full weeks of pay before the week of the holiday, in this case, before the week of July 1. Your employer must include tips, but not overtime in this calculation. 

For employees paid in whole or in part by commission, the amount of the compensation is 1/60 of the salary earned in the 12 weeks before the week of the holiday. What if you work part-time? The same rules apply! 

The Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST or labour standards, pay equity and workplace health and safety board) provides a tool to help you calculate the vacation pay you are entitled to.  

If you work on July 1 

Your employer may ask you to work on a public holiday. If so, they must pay you your usual wages for the hours you work. In addition, they must compensate you. Your employer has the choice between 

  • paying you the compensation in money, according to the calculations described above, or 
  • giving you a day off at another time. This day is paid time off! Your employer must compensate you for that day, according to the calculations described above. The day off must normally be taken within three weeks before or after July 1 if you work on the holiday. 

Important! To qualify for holiday pay or paid time off, you must not have been absent without your employer’s permission or without a valid reason on the working day before or after July 1.