Statutory Holidays in Saskatchewan: 2025 Guide

Statutory holidays, also known as public holidays or stat holidays in Canada, provide employees with paid time off to recognize national, cultural or religious occasions. Both employers and employees in Saskatchewan must understand their statutory holiday rights and obligations.

Complete List of Statutory Holidays in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan observes 10 statutory holidays each calendar year.

Below are the official statutory holiday dates in Saskatchewan for 2024, 2025, and 2026:

Note that Easter Monday, Boxing Day (December 26) and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (September 30) are not considered statutory holidays in Saskatchewan.

Source: List of Saskatchewan Public Holidays – saskatchewan.ca

Who Is Eligible for Statutory Holiday Pay in Saskatchewan?

Saskatchewan has broad eligibility requirements for statutory holiday pay. Per the Saskatchewan Employment Act, all full-time or part-time employees qualify for stat pay regardless of their length of tenure or how they are paid (hourly, salary, commission, etc).

There are no minimum service requirements for holiday pay eligibility. Even new employees who have worked less than four weeks leading up to the stat are entitled to pro-rated holiday pay based on wages earned to date.

The only exceptions are self-employed contractors, who are not considered employees under the legislation.

How to Calculate Stat Pay in Saskatchewan

Most employees are entitled to 5% of their gross wages earned in the four weeks immediately before the statutory holiday, excluding overtime but including vacation pay.

For example, Peter earned $2,000 in regular wages over the 4 weeks leading up to the holiday. He took 1 week of vacation during this period and received $500 of vacation pay. Thus, the statutory holiday pay Peter receives will be: ($2,000 + $500) x 5% = $125

While this rule applies to most employees, the calculation is different for others:

Construction Employees

For hourly employees in the construction industry, statutory holiday pay is 4% of gross wages earned in the calendar year leading up to the holiday, excluding overtime and vacation pay.

For example, Lisa earned $15,000 in regular construction wages in the prior calendar year before the stat. Her statutory holiday pay would be: $15,000 x 4% = $600

Construction employers must pay out accrued statutory holiday pay to eligible employees on or before December 31 of each year or within 14 days of termination.

New Employees

New employees who have worked fewer than four weeks before a statutory holiday are still entitled to pro-rated holiday pay, which is 5% of the regular wages earned to date.

For example, Mark was hired 2 weeks before the start and has earned $500 in regular wages so far. His pro-rated statutory holiday pay would be: $500 x 5% = $25

The only exception is if an employee’s termination date falls before the statutory holiday. In this case, they would not qualify for stat pay.

What is the pay for working on Saskatchewan statutory holidays?

Employees required to work on a general holiday in Saskatchewan receive 1.5 times their regular wage rate for all hours worked and their statutory holiday pay.

This premium pay equals the employee’s standard hourly wage multiplied by 1.5.

For example:

• Jane’s regular hourly wage is $20/hour
• She works 8 hours on statutory holidays
• She earns 1.5 x $20 = $30/hour premium pay for each of those hours
• In total, Jane would receive 8 hours of premium pay at $30/hour ($240) plus her day’s statutory holiday pay

Employers cannot substitute another day off instead of paying the premium statutory holiday pay.

How is overtime pay calculated on statutory holidays in Saskatchewan?

Employees who work overtime beyond their regular scheduled hours on a statutory holiday are entitled to both premium pay and overtime pay.

Overtime pay is calculated at 1.5X their regular hourly wage for any hours worked over 8 hours up to 12 hours, and 2X their regular wage for any hours over 12 in a day.

Source: Paying Employees for Public Holidays, saskatchewan.ca

What Happens if a Statutory Holiday Falls on a Weekend in Saskatchewan?

Saskatchewan employers can substitute the next working day as the statutory holiday when it falls on a Saturday or Sunday:

• If the stat falls on a Saturday, the employer does not need to provide an alternate day off.
• If the stat falls on a Sunday and the business is normally closed, the following Monday will be the substitute holiday.
• If the business operates on Sundays, Sunday is treated as a statutory holiday.

The one exception is Canada Day. If it falls on a Sunday, federal law requires it to be observed on the following Monday.

When a substitute day is provided, eligible employees receive their regular statutory holiday pay but do not qualify for premium pay unless required to work that day.

The table below provides a summary of the rules:

What Happens if an Employee Is Terminated Near a Stat Holiday in Saskatchewan?

Statutory holiday pay obligations do not disappear when an employment relationship ends.
If an employee’s last day is before the statutory holiday, they are not entitled to stat pay.

If an employee is terminated after a statutory holiday, they must still receive pay for that holiday. Even if the termination falls in the 4 weeks used to calculate entitlement, the employee must receive stat pay.

When a termination notice overlaps with a statutory holiday, the employee is still eligible for stat pay and cannot be required to work the holiday without consent.

The bottom line

To summarize, these are key takeaways for employers regarding Saskatchewan’s statutory holiday:

• All employees are entitled to take the 10 statutory holidays and receive holiday pay
• Regular statutory holiday pay is 5% of the prior 4 weeks’ gross wages or 4% of annual wages for the construction industry
• Premium pay of 1.5X regular wage applies for hours worked on the statutory holiday
• Statutory holiday pay must still be provided if the stat falls on a typical day off
• Substitute days are only allowed if the statutory holiday falls on a weekend
• Statutory holiday pay and time off cannot be forfeited if an employee is terminated around the holiday

FAQs about Stat Holidays in Saskatchewan