How Many Working Days in Canada in 2024?

Whether you want to spend more time with your family or pursue other interests, Canada offers the flexibility and options that many other countries do not. Yet, up to 3.7 million Canadians feel significant levels of stress due to work.

Let’s do a deep dive into the working days and hours in Canada for 2022.

How Many Working Days Are There in a Year in Canada?

2022 is a calendar year with a total of 365 days. In 2022, Canada will have 105 weekend days, 11 public holidays, and 249 working days.

However, this varies depending on the industry and job type, as some workplaces offer additional vacation time or other types of employee benefits that can help make up for the lack of paid time off.

How Many Working Weeks in a Month in Canada?

In Canada, there are typically four weeks in a month. However, there can be some variation between the months. For example, a typical February may only have three working weeks due to a holiday or vacation period that takes place during this month.

Additionally, you will find that many Canadians work overtime on some days during the weekend to increase their number of working hours each week.

How Many Working Weeks in a Year in Canada?

Usually, there are around 53 working weeks in a year in Canada. Technically, there are 52 weeks and two extra days in a year. However, if we count weeks from the beginning of the week, there are 53. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) uses this methodology.

How Many Working Hours Are There in Canada?

In 2020, Canadian employees worked an average of 35.8 hours in a week. average work week in Canada.

But how many hours will Canadian employees work in 2022? An employee in a federally regulated industry works an average of 8 hours every day (any period of 24 consecutive hours), 40 hours per week.

Take a look at the table below for a detailed overview of how many working days and hours there are in a month in Canada for the year of 2022.

 

Month	Number of Working Days	Number of Working Hours
January 1-31	21	168
February 1-28	20	160
March 1-31	23	184
April 1-30	21	168
May 1-31	22	176
June 1-30	22	176
July 1-31	21	168
August 1-31	23	184
September 1-30	22	176
October 1-31	21	168
November 1-30	22	176
December 1-31	22	176

 

According to the above table, workers in Canada can expect between 20 and 23 working days, and between 160 and 184 working hours in a month.

Federally Regulated Workplaces

Here’s a list of industries and workplaces federally regulated by the Canada Labour Code (the Code):

Can You Work More Than 8 Hours in Canada?

In most circumstances, the maximum number of hours of work per week is 48.

If you are undertaking both an unpaid student internship and paid employment with the same employer to meet the requirements of your educational program, your total hours of work cannot exceed

In extraordinary situations, the maximum number of hours worked in a week may be exceeded. For example, the maximum number of hours may be exceeded:

Exceptional Circumstances (Excess Hour Permit)

The Head of Compliance and Enforcement (Head) may grant a permit to an employer, which will specify the amount of hours employees may work. To do so, the employer must persuade the Head that:

In most cases, the employer must apply 60 days before the intended start date of the excess hours permit. The authorization may also free the employer from the obligation of a “day of rest.” The receipt of permission does not absolve the employer of the duty to pay overtime.

Within 15 days after the permit expires, or at another period stated in the peppermint, the employer must submit a written report to the Head. The report must include the number of

Employers subject to federal regulation can apply for a permit using the form accessible on the Government of Canada’s website.

How Many Hours is Full-Time?

In Canada, work of 30 hours or more per week is considered a full-time job. Full-time hours in Ontario are also 30 hours or more per week. Ontario part-time hours range from 3 to 8 hours per day for a couple of days in a week which is less than the standard 5-day workweek.

Ontario Overtime Laws

The province of Ontario has overtime laws that must be adhered to by employers. In Ontario, the standard workweek is 48 hours per week or 44 hours per week, with at least one day of rest in seven days. Overtime pay in Ontario is considered any time worked over these standards, which are outlined under the Employment Standards Act.

In Ontario, overtime compensation is 1.5 times an employee’s regular rate of pay for each hour worked beyond 44 in a week. This is known as “time and a half pay.”

Average Working Hours of Canadians

Here’s a table containing the average working hours of Canadians for the last few years (full-time and part-time).

Age group			25 to 54 years
Hours worked	Type of work	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
Average usual hours	Both full- and part-time employment	37.7	37.7	37.6	37.5	37.5
	Full-time employment	40.2	40.2	40.1	39.9	39.9
	Part-time employment	18.7	18.6	18.7	18.4	18.3
Average actual hours (worked in reference week)	Both full- and part-time employment	37.3	37.7	37.0	36.9	37.3
	Full-time employment	39.7	40.0	39.3	39.1	39.5
	Part-time employment	18.9	18.9	19.0	18.3	18.7

You can see in the table above how many hours part-time and full-time workers work in Canada. You can also see how many hours is part-time in Canada.

Countries with the Longest Working Hours

Let’s see how Canada fares among other countries when it comes to average working hours in 2019:

Country	Hours/Year
India	2,117
USA	1,757
Japan	1,738
UK	1,670
Germany	1,354

In 2020, the average hours worked per week was 35.8 in Canada. Considering that, full-time hours per year in Canada are typically 1,950.

How Many Holidays Are There in Canada in 2022?

Canada has five national holidays and six additional holidays for federal personnel. Employers, both public and private, are free to add additional days off for Christmas and New Year’s Eve. I have put together a complete list of Canada’s public holidays.

 

Jan 1	New Year’s Day
Feb 21	Family Day
Feb 21	Nova Scotia Heritage Day
Feb 21	Louis Riel Day
Mar 14	St. Patrick’s Day
Apr 15	Good Friday
Apr 18	Easter Monday
Apr 25	St. George’s Day
May 8	Mother’s Day
May 23	Victoria Day
May 23	National Patriot’s Day
Jun 19	Father’s Day
Jun 21	National Aboriginal Day
Jul 1	Canada Day
Jul 9	Nunavut Day
Jul 11	Orangemen’s Day
Aug 1	Civic Day
Aug 1	Heritage Day
Aug 15	Discovery Day
Sep 5	Labour Day
Oct 10	Thanksgiving Day
Nov 11	Remembrance Day
Dec 25	Christmas Day
Dec 26	Boxing Day

 

Global Comparison of Public Holidays

In Canada, the number of public holidays observed is typically lower than in many other countries around the world. Canada has fewer public holidays than many European countries like France or Germany.

Additionally, the United States has more public holidays than Canada, but all Americans do not always observe these holidays. Many US states have fewer public holidays than others, while in some cases, it is possible to work on a public holiday without pay.

However, unlike many other nations, Canadians have a paid vacation benefit as part of their employment contract. The number of days off for vacation is typically two weeks, although this can vary depending on the employer.

Conclusion

It’s safe to say Canadians enjoy a good work-life balance with an average of 37.5 hours worked per week. They also receive paid vacation days as part of their employment contract. In comparison to other countries, Canada has fewer public holidays, but employees are still able to take advantage of these days off.