Statutory holiday pay · Nunavut

Nunavut stat holiday pay.

What you are owed for a Nunavut statutory holiday, whether you take the day off or work it.

Nunavut has 11 general holidays, including Nunavut Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which the Act names with its 30 September date.

You need 30 days of work for the employer in the preceding 12 months to be paid for a holiday you take off.

the wages you would have earned at your regular rate for your normal hours —or— average of daily wages for the 4 weeks worked immediately before the week of the holiday

2026 rates Source: Nunavut Labour Standards Act (official consolidation) Last verified 2 September 2026

Inputs

Your qualifying window
$

Wages for the four weeks you worked immediately before the week containing the general holiday, and the number of days you worked in them.

The average day’s pay is the wages above divided by the number of days you actually worked in the window.

$

What you are normally paid for one day’s work.

If you worked the holiday
$

What you are owed

Fill the form and press Calculate.

Nunavut statutory holidays in 2026

Nunavut recognises 11 general holidays:

Nunavut is the only jurisdiction with Nunavut Day as a statutory holiday. The Labour Standards Act names the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and states the 30 September date expressly in its definition of “general holiday”.

Who qualifies for holiday pay

Under section 28 you are not entitled to be paid for a general holiday you do not work where you have not worked for your employer a total of 30 days during the preceding 12 months; or you did not report after being called to work that day; or, without the employer’s consent, you did not report on either your last regular working day before or after the holiday; or you are on pregnancy or parental leave.

How Nunavut calculates the pay

Section 24 sets two paths. Where wages are calculated on the basis of time, holiday pay is at least the wages you would have earned at your regular rate for your normal hours of work. Where they are calculated on any other basis, it is at least your daily wages based on the average of daily wages for the four weeks you worked immediately before the week containing the holiday.

Working the holiday: Section 25(1): in addition to the section 24 payment, the employer must pay at least 1½ times the regular rate for time worked that day, or give a substitute holiday with the same pay at another mutually convenient time no later than your next annual vacation. Section 26 adds that an employee not required to work the holiday cannot be made to work another otherwise non-working day that week unless paid at least double their regular rate.

Source, last verified 2 September 2026: Nunavut Labour Standards Act (official consolidation).

Frequently asked questions

How many general holidays does Nunavut have?

11: New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Nunavut Day, the first Monday in August, Labour Day, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day and Christmas Day.

Nunavut is the only jurisdiction with Nunavut Day as a statutory holiday.

Is 30 September a general holiday in Nunavut?

Yes. The Labour Standards Act names the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, observed on September 30, directly in its definition of “general holiday”.

Older third-party lists and the Labour Standards Compliance Office FAQ omit it. The Act governs.

How is Nunavut general holiday pay calculated?

Where your wages are calculated on the basis of time, it is at least the wages you would have earned at your regular rate for your normal hours. Where they are calculated on any other basis, it is the average of your daily wages for the four weeks you worked immediately before the week of the holiday.

That is section 24 of the Labour Standards Act.

What do I get for working a general holiday in Nunavut?

The section 24 holiday payment plus at least 1½ times your regular rate for the time worked, or a substitute holiday with the same pay at another mutually convenient time.

Section 26 adds that if you are not required to work the holiday, you cannot be made to work another otherwise non-working day that week unless you are paid at least double your regular rate.

Estimate only — not legal advice

This calculator produces an estimate from the published employment-standards minimums. It is not legal advice and it is not a determination of what you are owed. Statutory holiday entitlement in Nunavut is set by the Nunavut Labour Standards Office, and several occupations are exempt.

Collective agreements, employment contracts, exemptions for your occupation, averaging agreements and permits can all change the answer. For a binding answer, contact the employment-standards office named above or a lawyer.

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