Final pay · Canada
Final pay deadline by province.
How soon an employer must pay final wages after employment ends, in every Canadian jurisdiction where a deadline could be read from the statute or the government’s own guide.
The deadline runs from one week in Newfoundland and Labrador to 31 days in Alberta, and some provinces tie it to the next pay day instead of a fixed number of days.
Choose your jurisdiction
Final Pay Deadline, jurisdiction by jurisdiction
| Jurisdiction | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Ontario | Later of 7 days after the job ends or the next regular pay day |
| Quebec | Wages on the regular payday; other sums at the next pay, within 2 weeks |
| Alberta | 10 days after the pay period ends, or 31 days after the last day |
| Manitoba | 10 business days after the last day |
| Saskatchewan | 14 days after the last day |
| Nova Scotia | 5 working days after the pay period ends; vacation pay in 10 days |
| New Brunswick | Next pay day, and never later than 21 days after the last day |
| Prince Edward Island | End of the next pay period after the termination |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 1 week after termination |
| Northwest Territories | 10 days after termination |
| Nunavut | 10 days after termination |
Not covered on this page
- British Columbia has its own calculator: /employment/bc-final-pay-deadline-calculator.html (48 hours after the employer ends the job, 6 days after the employee quits).
- Federal: the Labour Program pages read did not state a deadline for final wages, so none is given.
- Yukon: yukon.ca and laws.yukon.ca refused automated access on 19 October 2026 (a Cloudflare challenge on every request), so no Yukon figure is published here.
Sources: each jurisdiction’s own employment standards Act or government guide, read directly 19 October 2026. The exact pages are linked on each jurisdiction’s page.
Frequently asked questions
Which jurisdiction has the shortest fixed deadline?
Among the jurisdictions on this page, Newfoundland and Labrador requires wages due to be paid within one week of the termination date. Northwest Territories and Nunavut allow 10 days, Saskatchewan 14, and Alberta up to 31 days after the last day depending on the option the employer uses. British Columbia, which has its own calculator, is faster still for dismissals at 48 hours.
Why do some provinces tie the deadline to a pay day?
Ontario, New Brunswick, Quebec and Prince Edward Island link final pay to the regular pay cycle: Ontario uses the later of seven days and the next regular pay day, New Brunswick the next pay day with a 21-day outer limit, Quebec the regular payday, and Prince Edward Island the end of the next pay period.
Does the deadline cover termination pay and severance?
This hub covers wages and, where the source says so, vacation pay. Termination pay and severance have their own rules on the termination notice and severance pay pages.
Reference only — not legal advice
This page states the statutory final pay deadline from the published employment-standards legislation or the government’s own guide, read on 19 October 2026. It is not legal advice, does not model a collective agreement or an individual contract, and rules change. For a binding answer, contact the employment standards office named in the source or a lawyer.