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Updated on September 24, 2024
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Unfortunately, this is not always the case, so it is crucial to know what you can expect from employers, and how to make sure you are treated well in the workplace.
Most employees are protected by provincial law, but some industries are federally-regulated. See this page to find out if jobs in your field may be provincially-governed or federally-regulated.
Each province and territory has its own Human Rights Act or Code, which governs employment rights in the province. These rights and standards are largely the same across Canada – the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion provides a detailed comparison.
To cut out the legalese, the basic thing you need to know is this: you have rights in the workplace, and there are mechanisms to help you if your rights are abused.
Throughout your career, you’ll benefit from certain rights at work relating to pay, schedule, sickness or holiday leave, and other aspects of working life. Overall these are fairly similar across the country, although there can be slight differences between provinces.
One key takeaway that applies across the country is the number of hours in a work week. A working day is usually considered to be eight hours long (this may include an unpaid break). Over a five-day work week, this means that most full-time workers clock around 35 to 40 hours. However, working anywhere from 30 to 40 hours per week is usually considered full-time employment, for the purposes of benefits and deductions calculations (for example, even if you work 30 hours a week, you could be eligible for the benefits and deductions applicable to a full-time employee).
If you work more than 40 hours in a week, you should usually be entitled to overtime pay. This can vary by position and industry, so check the provincial advice pages linked below. When in doubt, it is always appropriate to ask about these details in a job interview or when you are hired.
The conditions for vacation pay vary between provinces, but again the basics are the same: employees earn vacation pay at a rate of four percent, which equates to two weeks’ vacation per year if you’re working full-time (this usually goes up to six percent and three weeks’ vacation after a number of years with the same employer). However, it is important to note that every employee earns vacation pay on their earnings: if you are employed part-time, you also have a right to vacation pay equalling four percent of your earnings.
In Canada, both the federal government and individual provinces/territories set minimum wage rates. These rates are reviewed regularly and adjusted to keep up with inflation and changes in the cost of living.
Provinces, territories, and the federal government tend to update the minimum wage at set intervals. They also publish the planned increases in advance. This helps employers and employees plan for changes to hourly rates.
You can learn more about the minimum wage in Canada in our dedicated post.
Every province and territory also has its own conditions for “job-protected” or authorized leaves, such as sick days, bereavement leaves, and maternity/paternity leave. The conditions and entitlements vary, but the underlying concept is the same: wherever you work in Canada, there are ways for you to take the time off that you need, during which your job is protected. That is, if the absence meets the conditions set out in the province or territory’s labour standards, your employer cannot fire you, and must let you return to work if you wish to.
Take a look below for a summary of more key facts by province.
– Employees called in to work must be paid for at least two hours, even if they work less.
– Minimum annual leave for full-time workers: Employees earn vacation time during the first year they’re employed. After 12 months, they get two weeks of annual vacation. After five years, they get three weeks of annual vacation.
– Minimum break time: 30 minutes, paid or unpaid, within five hours of starting a shift.
– Sick leave: Up to five days’ personal or health-related leave per year, paid or unpaid. Other authorized leaves are available (for example, parental or bereavement leave).
– Who to contact if you have an issue at work: Alberta Employment Standards complaints
– Learn more: Alberta Employment Standards
– Employees called in to work must be paid at least two hours, even if they work less.
– Minimum break time: 30 minutes, unpaid, within five hours of starting a shift.
– Sick leave: Up to five days’ unpaid Family Responsibility Leave, for personal illness or family needs. No required paid sick leave, although paid sick days can be offered as a benefit. Other authorized leaves are available (for example, parental or bereavement leave).
– Who to contact if you have an issue at work: BC Employment Standards: Make a complaint
– Learn more: BC Employment Standards
– Minimum annual leave for full-time workers: Employees get at least two weeks’ vacation time for the first four years of employment. After five years, they get three weeks of annual vacation.
– Sick leave: Up to three days’ personal or health-related leave per year, unpaid. Other authorized leaves are available (for example, parental or bereavement leave).
– Who to contact if you have an issue at work: Employment Standards Help
– Learn more: Employment Standards Home
– Employees called in to work must be paid at least three hours, even if they work less.
– Minimum annual leave for full-time workers: Employees who have worked less than eight years with the employer get one day of vacation time for each month worked, or two weeks of vacation per year, whichever is less. After eight years, they get 1.25 days for every month worked, or three weeks per year, whichever is less.
– Sick leave: Up to five days’ sick leave and up to three days’ family-related leave per year, both unpaid. Other authorized leaves are available (for example, parental or bereavement leave).
– Who to contact if you have an issue at work: Employment Standards Complaints
– Minimum annual leave for full-time workers: Employees begin accruing vacation pay once they have been employed for five days, and get two weeks’ vacation per year. After fifteen years with the same employer, they get three weeks per year.
– Sick leave: Up to seven days’ personal or health-related leave per year, unpaid. Other authorized leaves are available (for example, parental or bereavement leave).
– Who to contact if you have an issue at work: Contact Labour Standards
– Learn more: Labour Standards
– Minimum annual leave for full-time workers: Employees get two weeks paid vacation per year. After five years with the same employer, this goes up to three weeks per year.
– Sick leave: Up to five days’ health-related leave per year, unpaid. Other authorized leaves are available (for example, parental or bereavement leave).
– Learn more: Employment Standards
– Employees called in to work must be paid at least three hours, even if they work less. Further conditions or exceptions may apply.
– Minimum annual leave for full-time workers: Employees who have worked between one and eight years with the employer get two weeks of vacation time per year. After eight years, they get three weeks per year.
– Who to contact if you have an issue at work: Complaint Process
– Learn more: Employment Rights
– Sick leave: Sick leave is not outlined in Nunavut’s Labour Standards. Those pursuing employment in Nunavut should ask prospective employers about sick leave during the hiring process.
– Who to contact if you have an issue at work: Labour Standards Board
– Learn more: Labour Standards FAQs
– Minimum wage varies for students, liquor servers, and some other positions. Employees called in to work must be paid for at least three hours, even if they work less.
– Minimum break time: 30 minutes to one hour, unpaid, within five hours of starting a shift.
– Sick leave: minimum three days’ unpaid per year. Other leave rights apply (for example, parental or bereavement leave). Other authorized leaves are available (for example, parental or bereavement leave).
– Who to contact if you have an issue at work: Ontario Employment Standards
– Learn more: Ontario Employee Standards Act (ESA)
– Minimum annual leave for full-time workers: Employees get two weeks paid vacation per year. After eight years with the same employer, this goes up to three weeks per year.
– Sick leave: Up to three days’ personal sick leave (after three months of employment) and up to three days’ family-related leave (after six months’ employment), both unpaid. Other authorized leaves are available (for example, parental or bereavement leave).
– Who to contact if you have an issue at work: Workers Compensation
– Employees called in to work must be paid for at least three hours, even if they work less.
– Minimum annual leave for full-time workers: Employees get one day of vacation time per full month of uninterrupted employment during the first year they’re employed. After 12 months, they get two weeks of annual vacation. After three years, they get three weeks of annual vacation.
– Sick leave: Two days of paid leave per year. Other authorized leaves are available (for example, parental or bereavement leave).
– Who to contact if you have an issue at work: CNESST complaints
– Learn more: CNESST
– Minimum annual leave for full-time workers: Employees who have worked at least one year with the same employer get three weeks’ vacation time. After ten years, they get four weeks of annual vacation.
– Sick leave: Up to 12 days’ personal or health-related leave per year, unpaid. Other authorized leaves are available (for example, parental or bereavement leave).
– Minimum annual leave for full-time workers: Employees get two weeks paid vacation per year.
– Sick leave: Up to 12 days’ health-related leave per year, unpaid (each day is earned per month, so you don’t get 12 days immediately on January 1). Other authorized leaves are available (for example, parental or bereavement leave).
Several statutory, or “bank”, holidays are celebrated across Canada, and employees get these days off in addition to their vacation time. Adding to statutory holidays, there are also provincial holidays.
If a holiday falls during your scheduled vacation, you still get it as an additional vacation day (for example, if you take five business days off work over the July 1 weekend, you would use up only four days of your vacation time). If you are required to work on a recognized holiday, overtime wages may apply – the way this is calculated can vary by province, so check their pages for more information.
The information above is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of employment rights and labour law.
Working in Canada should be a safe, profitable, and rewarding experience for everyone, and this is the case for the overwhelming majority of people, but it always helps to know your rights.
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