This year, Quebec’s National Holiday falls on a Monday. It’s followed by the July 1st holiday the next Monday. Are these holidays paid? What happens if you work on these days? And what if you’re already off on Mondays? Find the answers to these questions below!
Are you entitled to holiday pay?
Quebec’s National Holiday and July 1st are public holidays. This means you are usually entitled to have those days off, and your employer must pay you holiday pay.
For most full-time workers, this holiday pay is equivalent to a day’s salary. It’s generally lower for part-time workers.
For workers earning a commission, the holiday pay equals 1.66% (or 1/60th) of the wages earned over the previous 12 weeks. This calculation of wages includes tips but not overtime pay.
What if you work on a holiday?
If your employer asks you to work on a public holiday, they must pay you for the hours worked. This is true whether you work full-time or part-time. Your employer must either pay you the holiday pay mentioned above or give you another paid day off.
Exceptionally, if you have to work on June 24th and your employer chooses to give you a paid day off, you must take that day off either the day before or after June 24th. For other public holidays, such as July 1st, you can take your day off up to three weeks before or after the public holiday.
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Important To be entitled to the holiday pay mentioned above, you cannot miss work the day before or after a public holiday unless you have your employer’s authorization or a valid reason. |
Similar rules apply if the public holiday falls while you’re on vacation or if the public holiday falls outside of your regular work week: your employer must still pay you holiday pay or give you another paid day off. However, you can take this day off at any time that you and your employer agree to.
To whom does this holiday apply?
Almost all workers are entitled to a paid day off for Quebec’s National Holiday, whether or not they are covered by the Act respecting labour standards.
But be careful! Self-employed workers aren’t entitled to a paid day off on June 24th.
Federal employees working in Quebec may be entitled to a day off on Quebec’s National Holiday. It all depends on their collective agreement or employment contract.
As for the July 1st holiday, only employees covered by the Act respecting labour standards are entitled to it. If you are unionized or covered by a collective agreement, the rules in the collective agreement will apply.