New Brunswick has eight paid public holidays under the Employment Standards Act, including New Brunswick Day in August. Employees need 90 days of service to qualify.
New Brunswick statutory holidays 2026
Holidays in bold are added on top of the five observed across Canada.
Rules for employers
Who qualifies for holiday pay
• The employee has been employed for at least 90 calendar days in the 12 months before the holiday.
• They work their scheduled days before and after the holiday. Illness is generally an acceptable reason to miss them.
• They don't decide their own working hours.
If an employee works on a holiday
An eligible employee who works a public holiday gets a regular day's pay plus 1.5× their regular rate for hours worked.
If a holiday falls on a day off or during vacation
If a public holiday falls on a day the employee doesn't normally work, give another paid working day off, or pay a regular day's pay if the employee agrees. The day off must be taken before their next vacation. In 2026, all eight public holidays fall on weekdays.
Exemptions
Exempt occupations include architects, dentists, lawyers, doctors, pharmacists and accountants, real estate and car salespeople, and most commissioned salespeople.
How to calculate holiday pay in New Brunswick
Holiday pay = a regular day's pay. For variable hours, use the average day's pay from the 30 days before the holiday, excluding overtime. Employers can instead pay an extra 4% of gross wages on every pay from the first day of employment.
Example: an employee earns $25 an hour, works 8 hours a day, and earned $4,000 over 20 days in the past 4 weeks.
Hiring or running payroll in New Brunswick?
Borderless AI applies New Brunswick's holiday rules and pay calculations automatically. Hire in New Brunswick with our Employer of Record or run Canada payroll with Borderless AI. For other provinces, see Canadian statutory holidays by province.
Frequently asked questions
Is Victoria Day a stat holiday in New Brunswick?
No. Victoria Day isn't a paid public holiday under the Employment Standards Act.
Is New Brunswick Day a stat holiday?
Yes. New Brunswick Day, the first Monday in August, is one of the province's eight paid public holidays.
What is the 4% holiday pay option?
Instead of calculating holiday pay each time, employers can add 4% of gross wages to every pay from the first day of employment.
