Paid Holidays

The Employment Standards Act of Prince Edward Island gives employees who qualify eight holidays with pay:

• New Year's Day
• Islander Day (3rd Monday in February)
• Good Friday
• Canada Day (July 1st)
• Labour Day
• National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30th)
• Remembrance Day
• Christmas Day

If a paid holiday falls on a day an employee normally works, they must get that day off with pay. However, they will not get holiday pay if they fail to work on both their last scheduled shift before the holiday and their first shift after, without permission or a valid reason. They may also not qualify if they were asked to work on the holiday but chose not to. 

If a paid holiday falls on a day the employee does not usually work, the employer must give them a paid day off on another day. This could be their next scheduled workday, the first workday after their vacation, or another agreed upon day before their next vacation. 

If an employee works on a paid holiday, the employer must either pay the employee 1.5 times their regular wage rate for the hours worked, plus regular holiday pay, or pay their wage and give them holiday pay on another day at a later date. The day off must be agreed by both and taken before the employee’s next vacation. 

Holiday pay is calculated as five percent of the employee’s regular wages earned in the four weeks before the holiday (not including overtime). This amount includes any vacation pay or other holiday pay received during that time.