Alberta Stat Holidays 2026–2027: Dates and Holiday Pay

Alberta has 9 statutory holidays in 2026 and 2027: New Year’s Day, Alberta Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, Remembrance Day and Christmas Day.

These are called general holidays under Alberta’s employment standards legislation. Whether you receive holiday pay, extra pay for working or a future paid day off depends on your eligibility and work schedule.

Below, find the Alberta stat holiday dates for 2026 and 2027, which holidays are optional, and how to check what your employer should pay you.

On This Page:

• 1. Alberta Stat Holidays 2026
• 2. Alberta Stat Holidays 2027
• 3. Optional Holidays
• 4. Who Qualifies for Holiday Pay?
• 5. Holiday Pay Rules & Calculation
• 6. Weekends & Vacation
• 7. Federal Employees & Special Rules
• 8. Frequently Asked Questions
• 9. What If You Aren’t Paid?

Alberta Stat Holidays in 2026

The following nine dates are Alberta’s statutory holidays in 2026.

These provincial holidays are listed in the Government of Alberta’s general holiday calendar. A holiday’s appearance on the calendar does not automatically mean every employee receives that day off.

Alberta Stat Holidays in 2027

Alberta recognizes the same nine statutory holidays in 2027, on the following dates.

Christmas falls on a Saturday in 2027. That does not automatically make the following Monday a paid holiday for provincially regulated employees. See the weekend holiday rules below.

Which Holidays Are Not Mandatory Stat Holidays in Alberta?

Easter Monday, Heritage Day, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Boxing Day are not mandatory general holidays under Alberta’s provincial employment standards.

An employer can choose to recognize these or other dates as additional general holidays. When it does, Alberta’s general holiday pay rules apply to those additional holidays. Check your employment agreement, workplace policy or collective agreement.

September 30 and Boxing Day are also included in the separate federal statutory holiday calendar.

Who Qualifies for Stat Holiday Pay in Alberta?

Under Alberta’s standard rules, you must have worked at least 30 workdays for the same employer in the 12 months before the holiday. This means days worked—not simply 30 calendar days since you were hired.

You can lose holiday pay if you:

• Do not work on the holiday when you are required or scheduled to work.
• Miss your last scheduled workday before the holiday or your first scheduled workday after it without your employer’s consent.

The standard eligibility and calculation rules apply to full-time, part-time and casual employees. What you receive then depends on whether the holiday is a regular workday for you and whether you work that day.

What Is a Regular Workday?

A regular workday is a day you normally work. For someone with a Monday-to-Friday schedule, those weekdays are normally regular workdays; Saturday and Sunday are not.

What Is Alberta’s 5 of 9 Rule?

The 5 of 9 rule helps determine your regular workdays when you work an irregular schedule.

Look at the nine weeks before the workweek containing the holiday. If you worked on that same weekday in at least five of those weeks, it is treated as a regular workday for that holiday.

Alberta Stat Holiday Pay Rules

Your minimum holiday pay depends on two questions: Is the holiday a regular workday for you, and do you work that day?

The following table applies to eligible employees covered by Alberta’s standard general holiday rules.

How Do You Calculate Your Average Daily Wage?

Divide your wages in the applicable four-week period by the number of days you worked in that period.

Your employer can use either:

• The four weeks immediately before the holiday; or
• The four weeks ending on the last day of the pay period immediately before the holiday.

Overtime pay, vacation pay, previous general holiday pay and termination pay are excluded from wages for this calculation.

Example: Working on a Stat Holiday

Suppose you qualify for holiday pay, the holiday is a regular workday, you earn $20 per hour, you work eight hours, and your average daily wage is $160.

Under the premium-pay option, you receive:

• $240 for hours worked: $20 × 8 hours × 1.5.
• $160 in average daily wages.
• Total: $400.

Alternatively, your employer can pay $160 in regular wages for the eight hours worked and provide a future paid day off at your average daily wage.

Can Your Employer Choose a Future Paid Day Off?

Yes, when you work on a holiday that is a regular workday. The replacement holiday must fall on a day you would normally work and be provided no later than your next annual vacation.

Under this option, normal overtime rules apply to the day worked. If you instead receive the holiday premium, those hours are excluded when calculating overtime for that workweek.

These are minimum requirements. Your employment agreement may provide more generous benefits. Learn more about your broader rights under Alberta’s Employment Standards Code.

What Happens When a Stat Holiday Falls on a Weekend or During Vacation?

Holidays on a Weekend or Your Usual Day Off

You do not automatically receive a replacement weekday off because a holiday falls on a weekend.

For example, Christmas Day falls on Saturday, December 25, 2027. If Saturday is not a regular workday for you and you do not work that day, the standard Alberta rules do not require holiday pay or a paid Monday off.

Your employment agreement or workplace holiday policy may provide something better. Federally regulated employees follow different replacement-holiday rules.

Holidays During Annual Vacation

A qualifying general holiday during your annual vacation does not simply disappear.

If you would otherwise qualify for that holiday, your employer must provide a replacement day off with at least your average daily wage. It is normally taken on your first scheduled workday after vacation, or on another agreed workday after that vacation and before your next annual vacation.

See our guide to vacation time in Alberta for more information about annual time off.

Federal Employees and Special Holiday Pay Rules

Not everyone working in Alberta follows the standard provincial holiday-pay rules.

Federally Regulated Employees

Employees in federally regulated workplaces follow the Canada Labour Code rather than Alberta’s provincial holiday rules. Federal law recognizes 10 general holidays, including September 30 and Boxing Day.

Use our federal stat holidays guide to check the applicable dates and pay rules.

Construction Employees

Construction employees covered by Alberta’s special provisions receive general holiday pay of at least 3.6% of wages from the start of employment.

They do not have an automatic right to the holiday off. Working on the holiday is treated as a regular workday for wages and applicable overtime.

Not everyone employed by a construction company falls into this category. For example, office employees and employees performing ongoing maintenance are excluded from the construction-employee definition. Review Alberta’s construction employment standards rules.

Salaried Employees

Being paid a salary does not automatically remove holiday-pay protections. An eligible salaried employee can receive a holiday off on a regular workday with their full salary for that day; an additional payment on top of that salary is not automatically required.

Other Exceptions

Some occupations, including certain sales positions, have exemptions. Farm and ranch employees can also have different rules. Check the applicable industry exceptions before using the standard calculation.

Alberta Stat Holidays: Frequently Asked Questions

Is September 30 a Stat Holiday in Alberta?

Not under provincial employment standards. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is an optional general holiday for provincially regulated employers. It is a general holiday for federally regulated employees.

Is Remembrance Day a Stat Holiday in Alberta?

Yes. Remembrance Day is a provincial general holiday on November 11. It falls on Wednesday in 2026 and Thursday in 2027. Pay and time off depend on the applicable holiday rules.

Is Heritage Day a Stat Holiday in Alberta?

No, it is optional under provincial employment standards. Heritage Day falls on Monday, August 3, 2026, and Monday, August 2, 2027.

Is Boxing Day a Stat Holiday in Alberta?

Not under Alberta’s provincial employment standards. An employer can recognize it as an additional general holiday. Boxing Day is a general holiday under federal employment standards.

Are Good Friday and Easter Monday Both Stat Holidays?

No. Good Friday is a mandatory general holiday in Alberta; Easter Monday is optional. They should not be treated as interchangeable holidays when checking your employer’s obligations.

Can My Employer Make Me Work on a Stat Holiday?

An employer can schedule employees to work on a stat holiday. It must follow the applicable pay and time-off rules, along with any additional rights in your employment agreement or collective agreement.

What Should You Do If Your Employer Does Not Pay Stat Holiday Pay?

Start by checking your eligibility, work schedule and pay statement, then ask payroll how your holiday pay was calculated.

Keep copies of your schedules, hours worked, pay statements and any written holiday policy. Ask which four-week calculation period was used and whether a future paid day off has been recorded.

For an unresolved minimum holiday-pay issue, eligible non-unionized employees can make an Alberta Employment Standards complaint at no cost. Complaints can be made while you are still employed or within six months after your last day of employment.

Your employer cannot terminate your employment because you make, or are about to make, an Employment Standards complaint. Unionized employees should normally raise holiday-pay disputes through their union’s grievance process.

What If You Have Also Lost Your Job?

Unpaid holiday pay may be only one part of what you are owed. Your Alberta severance package should be assessed separately, and unused paid replacement holidays may also require a payout. Severance can be as much as 24 months’ pay.

Get Advice About Your Workplace Rights

If a pay dispute is part of a larger workplace problem—such as a dismissal, retaliation or a significant pay cut—Samfiru Tumarkin LLP’s Alberta employment lawyers can review your situation and explain your options.

Our Calgary employment lawyers and employment lawyers for Edmonton help non-unionized employees understand their rights before accepting a severance offer or making a decision about leaving their job.