bunnett

This is our first time using this site so please bear with us. We are hoping to move to Ontario in the summer this year (after a long 2 1/2 year wait).

One of many (and I mean many) questions is that when you are working in Canada you only seem to get 2 weeks a year holiday. Can you please tell me if this includes Christmas and New Year and Public Holidays?

Thanks:scared:

Butch Cassidy

Since public holidays in canada usually total more than 10 days the logical answer would be NO.

R2D2

Holiday entitlement varies and depends on Employer. My darling hub negotiated 3 weeks per annum, then he gets all the public holidays on top of that, which adds up to approx 9 more days, ( I did say approx as would need to tally them up )

But, you are correct in saying that a lot of Canadian employer only give 2 weeks, which is a big shock if you were used to 5 or 6 in the Uk. If you find that is the case, just make the most of every long weekend like we do and head off for mini breaks.

Rich_007

Negotiate more during chit-chat stage ?

Rich.

montreal mike

In quebec by law we only get 8 working days

They are

1. New Year
2. Easter Monday or Good Friday but not both
3. Victoria day
4. st jonny baptist
5. Canada day
6. Labour day
7 Thanksgiving
8. Christmas

Holidays are 2 weeks per annum (after a full yr service) and three weeks after 5, perhaps 6, weeks employment.

Wearsider

Do Canadians have a couple of weeks on the Pat and Mick each year to make up for the lack of annual leave?

love_it_here

2 weeks is the norm I'm afraid, the no of statutory holidays varies from Province to Province, I think Newfoundland has the most ( please correct me if I'm wrong Newfies). As others have said there maybe some leeway when negotiating but as a new employee in a new country chances are you will have to settle with what they give you. Unionised jobs generally have better vacation allowances, sick pay and benefits but are harder to get into
To be honest I don't notice the shorter holiday allowance that much ; as other posters have indicated it is customary to combine them with stats and have lots of long weekends instead, we find we don't have to travel very far to have a nice break (no flights to Spain necessary but then we do live in the Okanagan!).

cov-canuck

We've only been in Ontario for 3 months, so we're still finding our feet, but my company gives you 15 vacation days, plus 3 "no fault" days (otherwise known as mental health days or duvet days - a lot of people use them if their kids are sick, or they have a hospital appointment, etc.), plus you get a free day for any big life events (wedding days, moving days, etc.). That's 18 + any additional life event days (we're moving in 2.5 weeks, so I'll add that in), plus because I started in November and didn't have any vacation before the end of the year I carried over 2.5 days, so my total for 2007 is now at 21.5...plus the 9 public holidays...that's more holiday than I ever got in the UK. It all depends on the company. The above was standard for my company, no negotiating required (and a slightly higher salary than what I was on in the UK as well..and I'm not even going to get into job satisfaction...am I happy? Absolutely!).

dingbat

No. You'd very quickly find yourself on their version of the rock 'n' roll if you tried that lark. Double whammy here is that you get no benefits whatsoever if you get fired from a job for taking too many dodgy sickies.

Interested

Public holidays do not count as vacation days, they're extra days off on top of whatever your company entitlement is. The law in Ontario is a min. of 10 days vacation per annum. However it seems a lot of employers give 15 days these days.

dakota44

It is certainly correct that the only mandatory holiday (or vacation time) is 2 weeks (10 days) paid at 4% of your annual wages or income. Most companies, as mentioned, have a graduated system for vacation. The more years of service, the more vacation.
As for statutory Holidays, I find we get plenty. This year Christmas was very good..since we get paid Christmas and Boxing Day..and with Christmas on a Monday it made for 4 days off. Also, Canada day, what we call two four weekend (Victoria Day) May 24th, Good Friday, Thanksgiving, New years Day, Labour Day and the first Monday in August is a Civic Holiday. So we get plenty of long weekends.

Now...if you want time off...be a teacher. A week at Christmas, a week for Spring Break, a few months in the summer, PD (personal development days) etc. I should be so lucky.

forestfire

Not sure what work you're looking to do but as a nurse (RN) in BC i get 20 days plus the BH's which I presume I can take in lieu as healthcare does not shut down over hols (and if not in lieu - well if I work them the money's some compensation). In the UK I was entitled to 35 days + BH but it was more the whole lifestyle package Canada has to offer my family of four that we came for!

grumpy

I know you said you had many questions but it seems odd to me that the one you actually pose is entitlement to holidays! Or is that just me being weird?

Atlantic Xpat

This is an old chestnut. Judicious use of the search function will produce inumerable discussion on the subject. Bottom line is that it's a 'North American' thing rather than strictly Canadian, and that yer actual vacation will vary from job to job and employer to employer. If you think you're only gonna get the 10 days plus public holidays (11 here in Newfoundland) and that's an insurmountable problem for you then don't move to Canada!

bunnett

I would like to thank everyone who answered my question and not to those who answered smartly!!

At least one of them have been answered. Look out for more headings from us.