HR glossary · Pay and payroll

Vacation time (vacation entitlement)

Vacation entitlement is the minimum weeks of time off an employee earns each year. In Canada it starts at 2 or 3 weeks and grows with years of service.

Also called: vacation entitlement, annual vacation, vacation weeks, paid time off

What vacation time means

Vacation entitlement is the amount of time off an employee earns for each year they work for you. Employment standards laws set a minimum, usually 2 weeks a year to start, rising to 3 weeks (and federally, 4 weeks) after a set number of years.

It is a right to time away from work, not only to money. Vacation pay (the money) and vacation time (the weeks off) go together but are tracked separately, so keep records of both.

These are minimums. You can offer more in a contract or policy, and many employers do to attract staff. You cannot offer less.

How it works

The employee usually earns vacation time by completing a year of employment, sometimes called a vacation year or entitlement year. The weeks they get depend on their total length of service with you, so the start date matters. Keep it in your records.

When an employee crosses a service milestone, their entitlement goes up. In Ontario, Alberta and Prince Edward Island it is 3 weeks from 5 years. In New Brunswick it is 8 years, and in Newfoundland and Labrador 15. Saskatchewan starts higher, at 3 weeks, and moves to 4 weeks after 10 years.

Plan vacation dates with the employee and confirm them in writing. Rules on how much notice to give, whether vacation can be split into shorter periods and how long you can delay it differ by province, so check your province's guide.

Common mistakes: missing the anniversary that moves someone to more weeks, letting earned vacation go untaken year after year, and offering a contract with less than the legal minimum. A contract term that gives less than the minimum does not reduce what the law requires.

Vacation time by province

Minimum vacation time and when it increases, checked against official government sources on 7 October 2026.

Where the work is done	The rule
Federal	2 weeks; 3 weeks after 5 years; 4 weeks after 10 years.
British Columbia	2 weeks after 12 months; 3 weeks after 5 years.
Alberta	2 weeks; 3 weeks after 5 years.
Saskatchewan	3 weeks; 4 weeks after 10 years.
Manitoba	2 weeks; 3 weeks after 5 consecutive years.
Ontario	2 weeks; 3 weeks from 5 years.
Quebec	2 weeks; 3 weeks from 3 years (the official page does not say whether this means after completing 3 years).
New Brunswick	2 weeks; 3 weeks from 8 years.
Nova Scotia	2 weeks; 3 weeks in the 9th year (the higher 6% pay starts in the 8th year).
Prince Edward Island	2 weeks; 3 weeks from 5 years.
Newfoundland and Labrador	2 weeks; 3 weeks from 15 years.
Yukon	2 weeks.
Northwest Territories	2 weeks in the first 5 years; 3 weeks from the 6th year.
Nunavut	2 weeks for the first 5 years; 3 weeks after.

Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick word the 3-week year slightly differently in the Act and on the web page; confirm with the provincial office.

Example: A landscaping crew lead reaches 5 years

Nadia runs a 14-person landscaping company in Red Deer, Alberta. Her crew lead, Owen, started on 1 May 2022. When he completes 5 years on 1 May 2027, Alberta's minimum moves him from 2 weeks to 3 weeks of vacation, and his vacation pay from 4% to 6%.

Nadia adds the date to her calendar so payroll and Owen's vacation plan both change on time, and confirms his summer vacation dates with him in writing.

Hollis tracks the dates

Hollis in the Staffkin HR Suite tracks work anniversaries along with probation ends and other key dates, so you can see when someone reaches a new vacation band.

Try Hollis live

Free tools and guides for this

Questions about vacation time

How many weeks of vacation are required in Canada?

Most provinces require 2 weeks to start and 3 weeks after a set number of years. Saskatchewan starts at 3 weeks, and federally regulated employers give 4 weeks after 10 years.

When does an employee get more vacation?

When they reach the service milestone in your province, such as 5 years in Ontario, Alberta and Prince Edward Island, 8 years in New Brunswick or 15 years in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Can I give more vacation than the law requires?

Yes. The legal amounts are minimums. Put any extra vacation in the offer letter or a written policy so everyone knows the terms.

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.