Taking Vacation

The employer must allow the employee to take vacation within 12 months after the date on which the employee becomes entitled to it.

An employee is entitled to take vacation in one continuous period, unless they request shorter periods of at least a week at a time. Employees must receive approval from the employer in advance for each vacation period.

Common Vacation Entitlement Date

An employer may use a common date for calculating vacation entitlement of all employees, but only if this does not result in a reduction of any of the employee's rights.

Requiring an Employee to Take Vacation

Employees and employers should negotiate when annual vacation will be taken. If no agreement is reached, the employer can schedule the employee's vacation by giving the employee a written notice at least four weeks before the employee's vacation must begin.

If the employee does not take a vacation, the employee must get vacation pay no later than 11 months following the date when the annual vacation was earned.

Requiring Employees to Take Vacation During Workplace Closures

An employer can require all employees, or all employees in part of a workplace, to take their vacation at a time when the employer has closed all or part of the workplace. However, this applies only if those vacation periods are not less than one week in length.

The employer can do this by providing the employees with a written notice at least four weeks before the vacation must begin.

Wages and Vacation Pay

Employees are entitled to vacation pay when they take vacation.

Employees called in to work while on vacation must be paid wages and not vacation pay while working.