Thanksgiving Statutory Holiday Rules for Canadian Businesses

Key Takeaways

• Thanksgiving falls on the second Monday of October each year and is a federally-regulated statutory holiday.
• It is recognized in 9 of 13 Canadian jurisdictions — BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, YT, NT, and NU.
• The four Atlantic provinces (NB, PEI, NL, and NS) do not observe it as a paid holiday, though Nova Scotia designates it as a retail closing day.
• Employee eligibility rules and holiday pay calculations differ by province, and a federal designation affects pay dates for all Canadian employers through Payments Canada.

This article covers every jurisdiction, plus what the rules mean for your payroll.

In this post 

1. What is Thanksgiving in Canada?

2. Which provinces and territories recognize Thanksgiving as a statutory holiday?

3. What are the Thanksgiving stat holiday rules by province and territory?

4. How does Thanksgiving affect payroll processing?

5. FAQs: What should you know about thanksgiving statutory holidays?

If you're not sure whether Thanksgiving is a stat holiday in your province, or whether it affects your payroll regardless, you're not alone. Unlike many stat days, it isn't recognized the same way in every province — and even where it is recognized, the rules around employee eligibility and holiday pay vary. Here's what your business needs to know.

What is Thanksgiving in Canada?

In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the second Monday of October each year. It's a federally-regulated statutory holiday — which means it affects bank processing dates and pay dates for all Canadian employers — and it's also recognized as a statutory holiday in 9 of Canada's 13 provinces and territories, each with their own eligibility and pay rules.

Federally-regulated workplaces include banks, airlines, telecommunications companies, and interprovincial transportation businesses. For a full list, visit the Government of Canada's federally-regulated industries page.

Which provinces and territories recognize Thanksgiving as a statutory holiday?

Thanksgiving is a federal statutory holiday for the federal government and federally-regulated workplaces.

Thanksgiving is recognized as a statutory (or equivalent) holiday in 9 of Canada’s 13 provincial and territorial jurisdictions: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec, the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.

The four Atlantic provinces do not observe Thanksgiving as a statutory holiday: New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia does, however, designate it as a retail closing holiday, meaning many retail businesses must close, but it is not a paid holiday for employees.

What are the Thanksgiving stat holiday rules by province and territory?

Like all statutory holidays, there’s specific banking and payroll legislation surrounding Thanksgiving. In addition to navigating which provinces and territories observe the statutory holiday, the parameters for employee eligibility and holiday pay can also differ. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the legislation for Thanksgiving federally and by province and territory…

Always verify current rules with your province's Employment Standards authority, as legislation can change. Payworks keeps compliance information up to date — see our Payroll Guide for consolidated federal and provincial holiday details.

Knowing whether your province observes Thanksgiving is only part of the picture. How you calculate and process holiday pay — and when to submit your payroll — depends on a few more factors. More on that below.

How does Thanksgiving affect payroll processing?

Even employers in provinces that don’t observe Thanksgiving as a stat holiday should be aware of its impact on payroll. Payments Canada, the organization responsible for payment clearing and settlement, is federally regulated and as such observes Thanksgiving. This means:

• Electronic funds transfers (EFTs) submitted on Thanksgiving will not process until the next business day.
• If your regular pay date falls on Thanksgiving Monday, you may need to advance your payroll submission to the prior Friday.
• This applies regardless of which province your business is in.

For employers in provinces where Thanksgiving is a recognized stat day, additional rules apply: eligible employees must receive either a paid day off or premium pay if they work, and the method for calculating that pay follows your province's Employment Standards Act.

How do you process payroll when a stat holiday falls on or near your pay date?

Step 1: Confirm whether your province recognizes Thanksgiving: Check the table above. If you're in an Atlantic province, Thanksgiving doesn't trigger stat holiday pay obligations but may still affect your EFT processing date.

Step 2: Identify affected employees: Determine which employees qualify for stat holiday pay under your provincial Employment Standards rules. Eligibility criteria differ by province.

Step 3: Calculate holiday pay: Each province has its own formula. In Ontario, for example, holiday pay is calculated based on the employee's regular wages in the 4-week period before the holiday. In BC, it's based on average daily wages.

Step 4: Adjust your pay run submission date: If your regular pay date falls on Thanksgiving Monday, submit your payroll by the Friday prior to ensure funds arrive on time.

Step 5: Document your records: Keep a record of who worked, who received stat pay, and the calculation used. This supports compliance in the event of an Employment Standards review.

FAQs: What should you know about thanksgiving statutory holidays?

Is Thanksgiving a statutory holiday in all Canadian provinces and territories?

No. Thanksgiving is recognized as a statutory or general holiday in 9 of 13 jurisdictions: BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. New Brunswick, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia do not observe it as a paid holiday, though Nova Scotia designates it as a retail closing day.

Does Thanksgiving affect payroll even if my province doesn't observe it?

Yes. Because Payments Canada is federally regulated, it observes Thanksgiving as a statutory holiday. This means EFT processing does not occur on Thanksgiving Monday — affecting pay date timing for all Canadian employers, regardless of province.

How is Thanksgiving stat holiday pay calculated?

The calculation method depends on the province. Most provinces base it on an average of the employee's regular wages over a defined look-back period — typically the 4 weeks before the holiday. Employees who work on a recognized stat day are generally entitled to either premium pay (often 1.5x their regular rate) or a substitute day off, depending on provincial rules.

What if my employee doesn't qualify for stat holiday pay?

Eligibility rules vary by province. Common requirements include working a minimum number of days before the holiday, or not having been absent without consent on the scheduled workday before or after the stat. If an employee doesn't meet the eligibility threshold, they receive regular pay for any hours worked and no holiday pay.

Where can I get a consolidated guide to Canadian statutory holidays?

Payworks publishes a free Payroll Guide that includes a full calendar of federal and provincial holidays, bank closures, and payroll submission deadlines. It's updated annually and available at payworks.ca.

Make stat holiday payroll less complicated

Keeping track of stat holiday rules across multiple provinces and making sure your pay run submissions don't get caught by a federal processing holiday takes time your team could spend elsewhere.

Payworks Payroll calculates stat holiday pay according to each province's employment standards rules and flags upcoming bank closures so your employees are paid on time.

We’d love to show you how Payworks takes stat holidays off your plate.