Statutory holidays give Nova Scotia employees necessary paid time off each year. However, the rules and entitlements surrounding these stat holidays can be complex for employees and employers.
This extensive guide will explore everything you need about statutory holidays in Nova Scotia for 2024 and beyond.
Let’s start by looking at statutory holidays and how they are established in Nova Scotia.
Statutory holidays, also known as public or general holidays, are government-legislated days of rest that provide employees with a paid day off.
These statutory holidays are established by law at the provincial or federal level. Most employees are entitled to take the day off with pay, and employers must comply with the statutory holiday legislation.
Nova Scotia has six statutory holidays each calendar year as outlined in the Labour Standards Code:
These are the only statutory holidays in the province. Other standard days, like Victoria Day or Thanksgiving, are not considered official paid statutory holidays in Nova Scotia. However, employers can choose to provide them optionally.
While not statutory holidays, some other standard days off in Nova Scotia include:
Employers may optionally provide these extra holidays. Some sectors, like education, may regularly schedule days off on these dates.
Statutory holidays provide several benefits and protections for employees and society:
Canadians deeply value their statutory holidays. For full-time employees, statutory holidays in Canada provide the equivalent of an additional 2 weeks off work each year.
While we have covered surrounding statutory holidays in Nova Scotia, each Canadian province and territory has its own set of public holiday legislation. Some key provincial statutory holiday references:
Statutory holidays are legislated at Canada’s provincial/territorial or federal level.
In Nova Scotia, statutory holidays are legislated by the Labour Standards Code and administered by Nova Scotia Labour Standards.
This sets out the public holiday entitlements and requirements for most provincially-regulated workplaces.
Federally regulated employers like banks, transportation, and telecoms are covered under the Canada Labour Code, which outlines federal statutory holidays.
Federally-regulated employees are entitled to an additional statutory holiday on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th.
Nova Scotia also has specific legislation around Remembrance Day with the Remembrance Day Act. This establishes unique rules for this statutory holiday.
The Labour Standards Code establishes specific eligibility rules and pay entitlements for statutory holidays.
To qualify for statutory holidays, employees must:
This applies equally to full-time, part-time, permanent and temporary employees.
If an eligible employee is given the statutory holiday off, they must receive:
If an eligible employee works on the holiday, they must receive:
For example, an employee earning $20/hour who works 8 hours would get:
Stat pay is calculated as an average of daily wages in the prior 20 working days before the holiday.
Employers can require employees to work statutory holidays if needed. However, restrictions include:
Remembrance Day is a unique statutory holiday in Nova Scotia. Here are some key facts:
Approximately 95% of Nova Scotia employees receive Remembrance Day as a paid statutory holiday or day off.
Some other standard non-statutory holidays include:
Employers are not required to provide these days off. Some grant them optionally, while others remain open for business as usual.
Nova Scotia employers are advised to develop a comprehensive statutory holiday policy and communicate it to employees through an employee handbook.
This policy should outline:
Having clear statutory holiday policies is crucial for legal compliance and preventing labour disputes.
Here is an example statutory holiday policy table:
| Holiday | 2024 Date | Eligibility | Pay Entitlement |
| New Year’s Day | January 1st | 90 days and 15 of prior 30 days worked | Regular daily wages |
| Heritage Day | February 19th | 90 days and 15 of prior 30 days worked | Regular daily wages |
| Good Friday | March 29th | 90 days and 15 of prior 30 days worked | Regular daily wages |
| Canada Day | July 1st | 90 days and 15 of prior 30 days worked | Regular daily wages |
| Labour day | September 2nd | 90 days and 15 of prior 30 days worked | Regular daily wages |
| Christmas Day | December 25th | 90 days and 15 of prior 30 days worked | Regular daily wages |
Here are some additional statutory holiday best practices for employers:
From an employee standpoint, here are some things to keep in mind:
To summarize key learnings:
We hope this extensive guide has provided you with clarity and confidence on how statutory holidays are navigated in Nova Scotia. While the rules contain nuances, being informed of your entitlements as an employer or employee ensures statutory holidays can be appreciated as intended – a paid break from work to rest, celebrate and spend time with loved ones.
The 6 statutory holidays in Nova Scotia are New Year's Day, Heritage Day, Good Friday, Canada Day, Labour Day, and Christmas Day. These are legislated in the Labour Standards Code.
The specific dates for the 2024 Nova Scotia statutory holidays are:
January 1, February 19, March 29, July 1, September 2, and December 25.
Eligible employees get a regular day's pay if they have the statutory holiday off. Employees who work the holiday get regular pay plus 1.5 times their wage for hours worked.
Yes, the Labour Standards Code allows requiring employees to work statutory holidays with appropriate holiday pay. Exceptions include Remembrance Day closures.
Yes, eligibility is based on being employed for 90 days and working 15 of the prior 30 days - not employment status.
No, Easter Monday and Thanksgiving are not paid general holidays under the Labour Standards Code. Employers can choose to provide them optionally.
Retail businesses must close on New Year's Day, Heritage Day, Good Friday, Canada Day, Labour Day and Christmas Day. Employees can refuse to work on these days.
The employer can choose to provide either the Friday before or the Monday after as a substitute day when a statutory holiday falls on a weekend.
No, the Labour Standards Code prohibits disciplining or termination for refusing to work retail closing days. However, termination is not prohibited for refusing other stat holidays.
You can get more details on eligibility, retail closures, Remembrance Day and other statutory holiday rules from the Nova Scotia Labour Standards website.
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