HR glossary · Pay and payroll

Pay period

A pay period is the stretch of time each pay cheque covers. Most provinces set how often you must pay staff and how soon after the period ends.

Also called: pay frequency, pay cycle, pay day, biweekly pay, semi-monthly pay

What pay period means

A pay period is the span of days that one pay cheque covers, such as one week, two weeks or half a month. The pay day is the day the employee actually gets paid for that period.

Employment standards laws in most provinces set two limits: how long a pay period can be (for example, no more than 16 days, or at least twice a month) and how soon after it ends you must pay (for example, within 5 working days). If you pay late or on too long a cycle, the employee can file a complaint for unpaid wages.

Your pay period also drives your payroll tax work. The CRA payroll tables and your remittance due dates are built around how often you pay.

How it works

The common pay frequencies are weekly (52 pay days a year), biweekly or every two weeks (26 a year), semi-monthly or twice a month (24 a year, often on the 15th and the last day) and monthly (12 a year). Biweekly and semi-monthly are not the same: biweekly gives two extra pay days a year.

Pick a cycle that fits your province's maximum. If your province requires pay at least twice a month, monthly pay is not allowed for most employees. Then set a pay day that falls within the allowed number of days after the period ends.

Tell new employees the pay period and pay day in their offer letter or onboarding papers. If you change the cycle later, give staff plenty of notice and make sure no one goes longer than the legal limit between pay days during the switch.

Overtime is usually worked out per week, even if you pay every two weeks or twice a month. Keep daily and weekly hours records so you can do the overtime calculation properly.

Pay period by province

How often you must pay, and how soon after the period ends, checked against official government sources on 7 October 2026.

Where the work is done	The rule
Federal	The interval is not stated on the official pages; pay on your regular pay day.
British Columbia	At least twice a month; within 8 days after the period ends.
Alberta	At least monthly; wages due within 10 days after the period ends.
Saskatchewan	At least semi-monthly or every 14 days (monthly for monthly-salaried staff); within 6 days of payroll cut-off.
Manitoba	Twice a month; within 10 working days of the end of the period.
Ontario	A regular pay period and pay day; the maximum interval is not stated.
Quebec	At intervals of 16 days or less (one month for managers and contract workers).
New Brunswick	Pay days not more than 16 days apart.
Nova Scotia	At least twice a month; within 5 working days after the period ends.
Prince Edward Island	A pay period of 16 days or less; paid within 5 working days of the end of the period.
Newfoundland and Labrador	At least twice a month; within 7 days after the period ends.
Yukon	A pay period of 16 days or less; wages due within 10 days.
Northwest Territories	A pay period of one month or less; wages due within 10 days.
Nunavut	A pay period of one month or less; wages due within 10 days.

Example: Switching from monthly to biweekly in Halifax

Tom took over a 5-person bike shop in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where the previous owner paid everyone once a month. Nova Scotia requires pay at least twice a month, within 5 working days after the period ends.

Tom moves the shop to a biweekly cycle: each period runs Sunday to Saturday over two weeks, and staff are paid the following Thursday, 4 working days later and inside the 5 working day limit. He puts the new schedule in writing and gives everyone the dates for the rest of the year.

Employment standards by province

Staffkin's free employment standards by province page includes the pay frequency and final pay rules for every province and territory in one table.

See the rules by province

Free tools and guides for this

Questions about pay period

Can I pay employees once a month in Canada?

Only where your province allows it. Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut allow monthly pay periods, but Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador require pay at least twice a month.

What is the difference between biweekly and semi-monthly?

Biweekly is every two weeks, which is 26 pay days a year. Semi-monthly is twice a month on set dates, which is 24 pay days a year.

How soon after the pay period must I pay?

It depends on the province, from within 5 working days in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island to within 10 days in Alberta and the territories.

Official sources

General information for Canadian employers, not legal advice. Rules differ by province and territory and change over time, so check with your provincial employment standards office (or the federal Labour Program if you are federally regulated) before you rely on it. See employment standards by province.

Checked against official sources on 4 November 2026.