Whether we like it or not, December is quickly approaching and it is a good time of year for employers to plan for the upcoming statutory holidays.
This year Boxing Day will fall on a non-working day (Saturday) for many employees. As such, it is important to note how this day will be treated both with respect to time away from work, and how employees are to be paid for this day.
Note Boxing Day is a mandatory statutory holiday only in the province of Ontario and the Federal jurisdiction. However, if you provide the day off gratuitously and wish to know your obligations, please contact us.
The day to designate as the statutory holiday will depend on the applicable minimum employment standards legislation.
Federal: The employee is entitled to a holiday with pay on the scheduled workday immediately before or after the general holiday.
Ontario: The employer may choose a substitute day off with public holiday pay to be provided within 3 months of the statutory holiday or public holiday pay for the public holiday, if the employee agrees to this electronically or in writing (in this case, the employee will not be given a substitute day off).
Both with respect to time and money, various special rules and exemptions also may apply for certain professions and industries (i.e. retail sector), so always be mindful of these.
We recommend that employers communicate to employees as soon as possible with respect to the upcoming statutory holidays.
If you require any assistance in this regard, please do not hesitate to reach out to speak with an e2r® Advisor.