New Brunswick has eight paid public holidays: New Year's Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Canada Day, New Brunswick Day, Labour Day, Remembrance Day and Christmas Day. A qualifying employee who takes the day off gets a regular day's pay, and one who works it gets a regular day's pay plus time and a half for the hours worked.
Notice what isn't on the list. Victoria Day, Thanksgiving, Boxing Day and Easter Monday aren't paid public holidays under New Brunswick's Employment Standards Act, even though many employers give them. Below are the dates, the qualifying test and the pay rules, from the provincial government's employment standards pages as they read in October 2026.
New Brunswick public holiday dates for 2026 and 2027
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thursday 1 January | Friday 1 January |
| Family Day | Monday 16 February | Monday 15 February |
| Good Friday | Friday 3 April | Friday 26 March |
| Canada Day | Wednesday 1 July | Thursday 1 July |
| New Brunswick Day | Monday 3 August | Monday 2 August |
| Labour Day | Monday 7 September | Monday 6 September |
| Remembrance Day | Wednesday 11 November | Thursday 11 November |
| Christmas Day | Friday 25 December | Saturday 25 December |
The qualifying test
Not everyone gets holiday pay. To qualify for a paid public holiday, the province says an employee must:
- Have been employed for at least 90 calendar days (not just workdays) in the 12 months before the holiday.
- Have worked their regular scheduled day before and after the holiday, unless there's a good reason. Most illness reasons are accepted, and it doesn't have to be the day immediately before or after.
- If they agreed to work the holiday, turn up and work the shift unless there's a good reason.
- Not be employed under an arrangement where they decide when to work or not.
- Not be in an occupation exempted by regulation, such as commission-based sales professionals outside the employer's premises or athletes taking part in their sport.
How holiday pay works
| Situation | What the employee gets |
|---|---|
| Qualifies and takes the day off | A regular day's pay |
| Qualifies and works the holiday | A regular day's pay plus one and a half times regular wages for each hour worked |
| Doesn't qualify but works the holiday | One and a half times the regular wage rate for each hour worked |
| Holiday falls on a day off or during vacation | Another working day off with pay, or a regular day's pay if the employee agrees |
Here's the insight people miss: even a worker who doesn't qualify is still owed time and a half for every hour on a public holiday. The 90-day test decides the extra day's pay, not the premium.
If wages vary from day to day, the regular day's pay is an average of all hours worked, excluding overtime, in the 30 days before the holiday.
The 4% option and day swaps
Employers have an unusual alternative. Instead of paying a regular day's pay for each holiday, they can pay an extra four per cent of all gross wages from the first day of employment. The time and a half for hours worked on the holiday still applies on top.
- An employer and employee can agree to swap the holiday for another working day off, which must be taken no later than the employee's next vacation. Keep the agreement and record the substitute day as the holiday.
- Continuous operations such as hotels, resorts, taverns and restaurants can substitute the holiday without agreement, on the first working day after the employee's next vacation.
Vacation pay is a separate entitlement: 4% of gross wages for under eight years of service and six per cent after that. For how paid holidays compare in other provinces, see my guide to Ontario statutory holidays, and for the current pay floor, my New Brunswick minimum wage guide.
Payroll questions that come up every year
- Does a part-timer qualify? Yes, if they meet the 90-day and before-and-after tests. The act doesn't distinguish between part-time, full-time and casual staff.
- What if someone calls in sick the day after? Most reasons related to illness count as a good reason, so they can still qualify.
- What if the holiday lands on a Saturday? A qualifying employee who doesn't normally work that day gets another working day off with pay, or a regular day's pay if they agree. Christmas Day 2027 falls on a Saturday, so plan for it now.
- Can I swap Family Day for another day? Only by agreement, and the substitute day must be taken before the employee's next vacation.
- Who doesn't qualify? Staff who choose their own hours, and exempt occupations such as commission-based sales professionals working away from the employer's premises.
Keep a copy of any substitution agreement and record the substitute day as the holiday in your payroll records, as the province advises. If a dispute reaches the Employment Standards Branch, those records are your evidence.
Neighbouring Prince Edward Island has its own list and qualifying rules, which Prince Edward Island's holiday list sets out.
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My verdict
New Brunswick's list is shorter than many employers assume, so check your contract before promising a paid Boxing Day. For payroll, the two things to get right are the 90-day test and the time and a half that's owed to everyone who works the day. If tracking each holiday is a headache, the 4% option is worth a look, but it only makes sense if you apply it from day one.
The wider minimums on overtime, notice and leave are in employment standards in New Brunswick.
Frequently asked questions
How many statutory holidays are there in New Brunswick?
Eight: New Year's Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Canada Day, New Brunswick Day, Labour Day, Remembrance Day and Christmas Day.
Is Boxing Day a statutory holiday in New Brunswick?
No. Boxing Day isn't one of the eight paid public holidays under New Brunswick's employment standards, though some employers give it.
Can an employer pay 4% instead of holiday pay in New Brunswick?
Yes. Instead of a regular day's pay for each holiday, an employer can pay an extra four per cent of all gross wages from the first day of employment, plus time and a half for any hours worked on the holiday.
Who qualifies for holiday pay in New Brunswick?
An employee employed for at least 90 calendar days in the 12 months before the holiday who worked their scheduled days before and after it, unless they had a good reason.
What do you get paid for working a statutory holiday in New Brunswick?
A qualifying employee gets a regular day's pay plus one and a half times their regular wages for each hour worked. A non-qualifying employee still gets time and a half for the hours worked.
