How to Calculate Public Holiday Pay in Ontario 2019

Calculating public holiday pay in Ontario for 2019 requires understanding the specific legislation and your employment status. This guide explains the process step-by-step and provides a calculator to determine your holiday pay.

Introduction

In Ontario, public holidays are days when most businesses and government offices are closed. Employees who work on these days are entitled to additional pay under the Employment Standards Act, 2000. The calculation of public holiday pay depends on whether you are a full-time or part-time employee and whether you work on the holiday.

For 2019, the public holidays in Ontario were:

New Year's Day - January 1
Family Day - February 18
Good Friday - April 19
Victoria Day - May 20
Canada Day - July 1
Labour Day - September 2
Thanksgiving Day - October 14
Remembrance Day - November 11
Christmas Day - December 25
Boxing Day - December 26

How to Calculate Public Holiday Pay

To calculate public holiday pay, follow these steps:

Determine your regular hourly wage or daily rate.
Identify the number of hours you worked on the public holiday.
Calculate your regular pay for the hours worked on the holiday.
Add 50% to your regular pay to determine the holiday pay.

Note: If you are a full-time employee, you are entitled to public holiday pay even if you did not work on the holiday. In this case, your employer must pay you 50% of your regular daily wage for the holiday.

Formula

The formula for calculating public holiday pay is:

Public Holiday Pay = (Regular Hourly Wage × Hours Worked on Holiday) × 1.5

For full-time employees not working on the holiday:

Public Holiday Pay = Regular Daily Wage × 0.5

Where:

Regular Hourly Wage - Your standard hourly wage before overtime
Hours Worked on Holiday - The number of hours you worked on the public holiday
Regular Daily Wage - Your regular hourly wage multiplied by your standard daily hours of work

Worked Example

Let's calculate the public holiday pay for an employee who works 8 hours a day and earns $20 per hour.

Scenario: The employee works 4 hours on Victoria Day (May 20, 2019).

Regular Hourly Wage = $20/hour
Hours Worked on Holiday = 4 hours
Regular Pay = $20 × 4 = $80
Public Holiday Pay = $80 × 1.5 = $120

The employee's public holiday pay for Victoria Day is $120.

FAQ

What is the public holiday pay rate in Ontario?: The public holiday pay rate is 1.5 times the employee's regular hourly wage for hours worked on the holiday. For full-time employees not working on the holiday, it's 50% of their regular daily wage.
Do part-time employees get public holiday pay?: Yes, part-time employees who work on a public holiday are entitled to public holiday pay at the rate of 1.5 times their regular hourly wage for the hours worked.
Are public holidays paid in Ontario?: Yes, employees in Ontario are entitled to public holiday pay if they work on a public holiday. Full-time employees are also entitled to public holiday pay even if they do not work on the holiday.
How is public holiday pay calculated for overtime?: Public holiday pay is calculated separately from overtime pay. If an employee works overtime on a public holiday, they are entitled to both public holiday pay and overtime pay.
Can employers refuse to pay public holiday pay?: No, employers cannot refuse to pay public holiday pay to employees who are entitled to it under the Employment Standards Act, 2000.