Manitoba has nine general holidays, the official name for statutory holidays: New Year's Day, Louis Riel Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Orange Shirt Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Most employees are paid for them whether they work or not, usually 5% of their wages from the four weeks before.
Employment Standards Manitoba publishes the dates and the pay rules in one fact sheet. Here's what it says, as of October 2026, laid out for payroll.
The nine general holidays in 2026 and 2027
| General holiday | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 1 January | 1 January |
| Louis Riel Day (3rd Monday in February) | 16 February | 15 February |
| Good Friday | 3 April | 26 March |
| Victoria Day | 18 May | 24 May |
| Canada Day | 1 July | 1 July |
| Labour Day | 7 September | 6 September |
| Orange Shirt Day (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation) | 30 September | 30 September |
| Thanksgiving Day | 12 October | 11 October |
| Christmas Day | 25 December | 25 December |
Easter Sunday, Terry Fox Day and Boxing Day aren't general holidays, so there's no holiday pay for them. Remembrance Day isn't one either, but retail businesses can't open between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm that day and there are special pay rules for people who work.
The 5% formula, worked through
An employee who always works the same hours gets one regular day's pay. An employee whose hours or wages vary gets 5% of gross wages, not counting overtime, in the four weeks before the holiday. Manitoba's example, as of October 2026: someone who earned $1200 in those four weeks gets $1200 times 5%, which is $60. Construction is different: those employees get 4% of gross earnings, often paid on every cheque.
The insight that catches new employers is that there's no qualifying period at all. Manitoba says length of service doesn't matter: an employee who started the day before the holiday is owed 5% of what they earned on that one day.
Who doesn't get holiday pay
- Someone scheduled to work the holiday who's absent without permission.
- Someone absent without permission on their last scheduled workday before the holiday or their first scheduled workday after it.
- Election officials, enumerators and other temporary people appointed under The Elections Act.
Working the holiday
Most employees who work a general holiday get 1 and a half times their regular rate for the hours worked, on top of their general holiday pay. Some employers can pay regular wages instead, if they give another day off with holiday pay within the next 30 days: gas stations, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, places of amusement, continuously operating businesses, climate-controlled agricultural businesses, seasonal industries other than construction, and employers of domestic workers.
Incentive pay works the same way. Manitoba's commission example: a salesperson earns $800 for 40 hours, which is $20 an hour. Working 8 hours on the holiday at $30 an hour adds $240 to the $640 for the other 32 hours, so the employer pays an extra $80 plus the 5% holiday pay.
Weekends, days off and vacations
- Holiday on a Saturday or Sunday the employee doesn't normally work: the next regular workday off, with holiday pay.
- Holiday on a weekday they don't normally work: a normal workday off with holiday pay, before their next vacation or at an agreed time.
- Holiday during a vacation: another day off with pay, and the holiday doesn't count as a vacation day.
- Holiday pay counts as hours worked for overtime, and it's included when vacation pay is calculated.
Moving a holiday to another day
Employers can substitute another day for every general holiday except Orange Shirt Day. They need a collective agreement or the written agreement of a majority of employees, the new day must fall within 12 months of the holiday, and Employment Standards doesn't need to approve it, though the employer should keep the agreement.
When employment ends
If the employee quits before a holiday, there's no holiday pay for it. If the employer ends the employment in the four weeks before a holiday, the employee is still owed 5% of their wages for that period, including wages in lieu of notice, paid with the last wages within 10 business days. For the hourly rate itself, see my Manitoba minimum wage guide, and compare with statutory holidays in Alberta.
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A payroll checklist for Manitoba holidays
- Load the nine 2026 dates into your payroll calendar, with Orange Shirt Day on 30 September.
- Flag staff with varying hours and calculate 5% of their gross wages, not overtime, for the four weeks before each holiday.
- Pay new starters too, even if they joined days before the holiday.
- For anyone working the holiday, add 1 and a half times their rate for hours worked, unless your business is on the exception list and you give another paid day off within 30 days.
- Record the dates holidays are taken and the hours and wages paid for any holiday worked.
- Keep any written majority agreement if you substitute a day.
My verdict
Manitoba's nine general holidays come with a simple 5% rule that makes the pay easy to calculate. The two traps are paying nothing to brand-new staff and trying to swap Orange Shirt Day, which the rules don't allow. Set both up correctly in payroll and the rest takes care of itself.
Frequently asked questions
How many statutory holidays does Manitoba have?
Nine general holidays: New Year's Day, Louis Riel Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Orange Shirt Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Is Boxing Day a statutory holiday in Manitoba?
No. Employment Standards says Easter Sunday, Terry Fox Day and Boxing Day aren't general holidays, so employees who don't work them aren't paid for them.
How is statutory holiday pay calculated in Manitoba?
Employees with steady hours get a regular day's pay. Employees with varying hours get 5% of their gross wages, excluding overtime, from the four weeks before the holiday.
Can Orange Shirt Day be moved to another day in Manitoba?
No. Employers can substitute another day for every general holiday except Orange Shirt Day.
What do you get for working a statutory holiday in Manitoba?
Most employees get 1 and a half times their regular rate for the hours worked plus their general holiday pay, unless the employer is in an excepted industry and gives another paid day off within 30 days.
Do new employees get statutory holiday pay in Manitoba?
Yes. Manitoba says length of service doesn't affect general holiday pay, so even someone who started the day before is owed 5% of the wages earned on that day.
