Stat Holidays Ontario 2025: List of 9 Paid Days Off and Rules

Figuring out which days are actual paid days off in Ontario takes a bit of untangling. Here’s what you need to know about Ontario’s 2025 statutory holidays: the full list, the often-confusing status of the Civic Holiday and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and the real rules behind holiday pay.

Number of mandatory paid statutory holidays in Ontario in 2025: 9 ·
Number of optional statutory holidays in Ontario in 2025: 1 (Easter Monday) ·
First statutory holiday of 2025: January 1 (New Year’s Day) ·
Last statutory holiday of 2025: December 25 (Christmas Day) ·
Civic Holiday (August 4) status: Not a statutory holiday; optional for employers ·
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Sep 30) status: Federal holiday; not a statutory holiday for provincially regulated employers in Ontario

Six key distinctions define Ontario’s 2025 holiday landscape.

What are the stat holidays in Ontario for 2025?

What is the full list of statutory holidays in Ontario for 2025?

• New Year’s Day – January 1 (Canada Revenue Agency – federal holiday list)
• Family Day – February 17 (Leckers Law – employment law guidance)
• Good Friday – April 18
• Victoria Day – May 19
• Canada Day – July 1
• Labour Day – September 1
• Thanksgiving Day – October 13 (StatutoryHolidays.com – 2025 calendar)
• Christmas Day – December 25
• Boxing Day – December 26

These nine are set by the Employment Standards Act and apply to most provincially regulated workplaces. Easter Monday (April 21) is not on the mandatory list but is sometimes observed by employers who choose to recognize it (Citation Canada – employer’s guide).

Which holidays are mandatory paid days off?

All nine listed above are mandatory paid days off for eligible employees. The City of Toronto – statutory holidays page includes additional designated days for municipal workers, but the provincial standard remains nine core holidays.

The implication: Ontario’s statutory holiday list is fixed and narrow by law. Any extra days off are a matter of employer policy, not legal obligation.

The implication: Ontario’s statutory list is fixed, but extra days depend on employer policy.

What are the 9 paid holidays in Ontario?

Are all statutory holidays in Ontario paid days off?

Yes — for employees who meet the eligibility criteria. Under the Employment Standards Act, workers must have been employed for at least 30 calendar days in the 12 months before the holiday to qualify for public holiday pay (Leckers Law – eligibility rules). Part-time and full-time employees are treated equally on that rule.

What are the rules for holiday pay when a stat holiday falls on a weekend?

If a statutory holiday falls on a day that is an employee’s regular day off (like a Saturday or Sunday), the employer must either provide a substitute day off or pay premium pay for any hours worked on that day (Leckers Law). Boxing Day 2025 (Friday, December 26) falls on a weekday, so no substitution issue arises — but Christmas Day (Thursday) and Boxing Day are consecutive, creating a holiday block.

The catch: substitution policies are not standardized across Ontario workplaces. Employees should check their employment contract or collective agreement.

Is August 4 a holiday in Ontario?

What is the Civic Holiday in Ontario?

August 4, 2025, is the first Monday of August — commonly called the Civic Holiday (StatutoryHolidays.com – 2025 calendar). However, it is not a statutory holiday under Ontario’s Employment Standards Act. The province does not require employers to give it off or pay premium for work performed that day (Citation Canada – employer compliance guide).

Do we have a long weekend in August in Ontario?

Although the Civic Holiday is widely observed by many employers — especially in the public sector and retail — it remains optional. For provincially regulated workers, the August long weekend is a perk, not a right. The City of Toronto includes Simcoe Day (its name for the Civic Holiday) for municipal employees, but private-sector workers have no guaranteed day off.

The pattern: the Civic Holiday is the most common “optional” day in Ontario, creating confusion every year. Workers should confirm their employer’s policy early.

Who gets September 30 off in Canada?

Is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation a statutory holiday in Ontario?

September 30, 2025, is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — a federal statutory holiday. For federally regulated employees (banks, post offices, airlines), it is a paid day off (Canada Revenue Agency – federal public holidays). Ontario, however, has not designated it as a provincial statutory holiday. Provincially regulated employers are not legally required to observe it (StatutoryHolidays.com – holiday listing).

Which employees are entitled to this day off?

Only workers in federally regulated industries or those whose employers voluntarily observe it are guaranteed the day off with pay. According to employment-law analysts at Citation Canada, many Ontario employers are choosing to recognize the day even though they are not required to, but this remains a discretionary decision.

What this means: the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation sits in a grey zone — federally protected but provincially optional. Ontario workers in retail, manufacturing, and most office jobs may not automatically get this holiday.

What is the 3 hour rule in Canada?

How does the 3 hour rule apply to statutory holidays?

The “3 hour rule” often circulates as a myth in employment discussions. Some provinces — notably Alberta — have a rule requiring minimum pay for three hours of work if an employee is called in. Ontario, however, does not have a universal “3 hour rule” for statutory holidays. Instead, Ontario’s Employment Standards Act specifies that if an eligible employee works on a statutory holiday, they are entitled to premium pay of 1.5 times their regular rate for all hours worked, plus a substitute day off with regular pay (Leckers Law – premium pay rules).

What are employment standards rules for hours of work on a public holiday?

For Ontario, the relevant rule is the “last and first” requirement: employees generally must work their last scheduled shift before the holiday and their first scheduled shift after the holiday to qualify for public holiday pay (Leckers Law – last and first rule). According to Citation Canada, failing to work either of those shifts — unless the employer has agreed otherwise — can disqualify an employee from holiday pay. There is no standalone “3 hour rule” for Ontario statutory holidays.

The trade-off: the “3 hour rule” confusion can lead workers to incorrectly believe they are owed pay for short call-ins on holidays. Ontario’s actual rules focus on premium pay and the last-and-first test.

2025 Ontario statutory holiday timeline

• January 1 – New Year’s Day (statutory) (Canada Revenue Agency – federal holiday list)
• February 17 – Family Day (statutory) (Leckers Law – employment law guidance)
• April 18 – Good Friday (statutory) (Leckers Law)
• April 21 – Easter Monday (optional) (Citation Canada)
• May 19 – Victoria Day (statutory) (Leckers Law)
• July 1 – Canada Day (statutory) (Canada Revenue Agency)
• August 4 – Civic Holiday (not statutory; employer discretion) (StatutoryHolidays.com)
• September 1 – Labour Day (statutory) (Leckers Law)
• September 30 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (federal only) (Canada Revenue Agency)
• October 13 – Thanksgiving Day (statutory) (StatutoryHolidays.com)
• December 25 – Christmas Day (statutory) (Leckers Law)
• December 26 – Boxing Day (statutory) (Leckers Law)

Expert perspectives on Ontario’s 2025 holidays

“Ontario’s Employment Standards Act identifies nine mandatory public holidays for provincially regulated employees. Employers who fail to provide these days or the required premium pay are subject to compliance orders.”

— Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (Ontario.ca – public holiday guide)

“Federally regulated employees are entitled to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a paid holiday. This includes workers in banking, telecommunications, and interprovincial transportation.”

— Canada Revenue Agency – federal public holiday list (Canada Revenue Agency)

“The City of Toronto’s holiday schedule includes designated days beyond Ontario’s core statutory list, such as Easter Monday and Simcoe (Civic) Day. Municipal employees receive these as paid days off, but private-sector workers in Toronto do not automatically get them.”

— City of Toronto – statutory holidays page (City of Toronto)

Summary

Ontario’s 2025 statutory holiday calendar is clear: nine mandatory paid days, with the Civic Holiday and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation conspicuously absent from the mandatory list. The “3 hour rule” is a myth for Ontario; the real rules involve premium pay, last-and-first requirements, and employer-specific policies. For Ontario workers, the implication is straightforward: verify your employer’s holiday policy well in advance of each holiday, especially for optional days like Easter Monday and the August Civic Holiday. For employers, not providing the nine mandatory holidays or failing to pay premium can lead to Ministry of Labour compliance actions — a risk no business wants to take.

For reference, readers may also consult Ontarios 2024 stat holidays to see how the list has shifted from the previous year.

Frequently asked questions

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