Federal holiday for Queen Elizabeth’s Funeral: Sept. 19

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada will mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II with a national day of mourning on Sept. 19, 2022.

“Declaring an opportunity for Canadians to mourn on Monday is going to be important, so for our part we will be letting federal employees know that Monday will be a day of mourning,” Trudeau said during a news conference on Sept. 13.

However, Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan Jr. clarified on social media that federally regulated employees will not get Sept. 19 off automatically.

September 19, 2022 will be a holiday for federal government employees. It will be a day of mourning for the passing of Her Majesty Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada.

Federally regulated employers are welcomed to follow suit, but they are not required to do so.

— Seamus O’Regan Jr (@SeamusORegan) September 13, 2022

Canada’s decision comes after other countries, including Australia and New Zealand, announced the specific days that they will honour the queen. Australia is making Sept. 22 a public holiday, while New Zealand has selected Sept. 26.

A commemorative ceremony will also be held in Ottawa on Sept. 19. According to reports, it will include:

• A memorial parade featuring the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
• A fly-over by CF-18s
• A 96-shot gun salute, one shot for every year of the queen’s life

Do I get the day off work on Sept. 19, 2022?

Many federally regulated and provincially regulated employees across Canada aren’t getting the day off work on Sept. 19.

Federally regulated employees

Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan Jr. clarified on social media that federally regulated employees will not get Sept. 19 off automatically. It’s a national holiday for federal government employees only.

He added that federally regulated employers, which are governed by the Canada Labour Code (CLC), are welcome to follow suit, “but they are not required to do so.”

Provincially regulated employees

It will be business as usual for provincially regulated employees in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia.

All three provinces have decided against making Sept. 19 a provincial holiday.

• Ontario: Premier Doug Ford said on Sept. 13 that the province will mark the queen’s funeral as a “provincial day of mourning in lieu of a provincial holiday.”
• Alberta: The province announced that it will recognize Sept. 19 as a provincial day of mourning. However, it will not be treated as a statutory holiday in Alberta.
• British Columbia: Premier John Horgan declared Sept. 19 a day of remembrance, but not a statutory holiday in B.C.. Public schools, including post-secondary institutions, and most Crown corporations in the province will be closed.

LEARN MORE
• Statutory Holidays in Ontario
• Pocket Employment Lawyer: Discover your workplace rights

Can my employer punish me if I take Sept. 19, 2022 off?

If Sept. 19 is not a holiday for you, your employer can’t punish you if you decide to use a personal or vacation day to mourn the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

It’s important to remember that some companies require personal or vacation days to be approved before the desired date. You could face punishment if you don’t receive approval from your employer to not work on Sept. 19.

Employees don’t have to use personal or vacation days if:

• Their company grants staff the day off
• The provincial or territorial government recognizes it as an official holiday

Unless either of these conditions are met, not showing up to your job on Sept. 19 would be the same as missing a day of work. In this situation, you could be disciplined by your employer.

SEE ALSO
• Reprisals at work in Alberta: Know your rights

WATCH: Employment lawyer Lior Samfiru explains what employees need to know about reprisals at work on an episode of the Employment Law Show.

Will Sept. 19 be a recurring national holiday?

During the initial announcement, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau didn’t disclose whether or not Sept. 19 would be a recurring national holiday.

Trudeau said the federal government is having conversations with provinces and federal workers about the national day of mourning.

Employment lawyers for federally and provincially regulated employees

Our employment lawyers have helped tens of thousands of individuals across Ontario, Alberta and B.C. enforce their rights. With employment lawyers in Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver, we stand ready to help you solve your workplace issues.

If you are a federally regulated or provincially regulated employee who needs help with an employment issue, contact us or call 1-855-821-5900 to get the advice you need, and the compensation you deserve.