2021 Statutory Holidays in Alberta: The Complete List
Publié le 26 November 2021
Holidays are the perfect time to relax, spend time with loved ones, and take a break from work. Spending a little bit of time away from work isn’t just fun, it allows you to rest and destress, helps to maintain proper physical, mental and emotional well-being and can even help you avoid burnout. Plan out your days off and long weekends with statutory holidays, days when you get to stay home and still get paid. Grab your calendar and get ready to mark down the 2021 Statutory Holidays in Alberta.
The Complete List of 2021 Statutory Holidays in Alberta:
- January 1 – Friday: New Years Day
- February 15 – Monday: Alberta Family Day
- April 2 – Friday: Good Friday
- May 24 – Monday: Victoria Day
- July 1 – Thursday: Canada Day
- September 6 – Monday: Labour Day
- October 11 – Monday: Thanksgiving
- November 11 – Thursday: Remembrance Day
- December 25 – Saturday: Christmas Day
What Is A Statutory Holiday?
Statutory Holidays – also known as General Holidays in Alberta – are official public holidays that are mandated through federal, territorial or provincial legislation. As a result, many employees are legally entitled to a day off from work or increased compensation for working on a statutory holiday.
There are currently 11 statutory holidays mandated by the Federal Government, meaning they apply to Federal workers across Canada. Each province and territory is responsible for creating their own additional statutory holidays as they see fit. The province of Alberta, home to nearly 1.8 million full-time workers and looking to hire more, currently has 9 statutory holidays and a further 3 optional general holidays. Many of these general holidays are in line with Federal statutory holidays, while some are unique to Alberta.
2021 Optional General Holidays in Alberta
Employers in the province of Alberta have the option to designate 3 additional days as general holidays:
- April 5 – Monday: Easter Monday
- August 2 – Monday: Heritage Day
- December 26 – Sunday: Boxing Day
On these optional general holidays, once an employer has expressly agreed to designate them as such, “all employment standards rules related to general holiday pay still apply for these additional holidays.” Meaning employees could receive these days as paid time off, but it is at the discretion of each individual employer.
Do I Qualify?
There is one main requirement for employees to qualify for statutory/general holidays. If you have been officially employed and have worked for at least 30 days for the same employer in the 12 months preceding the holiday, you qualify for paid general holiday equal to your salary on a regular work day.
What If I Work On A Statutory/General Holiday?
Not every single employee will have the day off on a 2021 statutory holiday in Alberta. For employees who do work, they will be entitled to an increased holiday pay rate. This pay rate is equal to 1.5 times of their regular wage, also known as time and a half. Say you make an hourly wage of $15.00 per hour, the current minimum wage in Alberta. Your pay rate for working on a 2021 statutory holiday in Alberta would be increased by half of your hourly wage rate ($15.00 + $7.50) to $22.50 per hour.
There is one alternative to being paid time and a half. An employee can agree to be paid their regular hour rate when working on a statutory holiday holiday in exchange for an approved date off paid at their regular hourly rate to be applied at a later day. This provides employees with the option to earn more paid vacation time in exchange for working on statutory/general holidays.
Before You Call-In Sick
If a 2021 statutory holiday falls on a Friday or Monday, some may be tempted to call in sick or take an unexcused absence for an extra long weekend. However, per provincial legislation, employees in Alberta are required to “work their scheduled shift before and after the holiday (unless employer consent is given for the absence).” This means that unless an employer has expressly approved a day off before or after a general holiday, an employee who does not work on these days will be ineligible to receive pay for the statutory holiday.
Mark Your Calendar
Now that you know the full list of 2021 statutory holidays in Alberta, you can better plan out vacations and time off from work. Mark your calendars and plan what you’re going to do with your days off much-needed time away from the workplace.
