Quebec Vacation Pay Checker — Understanding Your Indemnité de Vacances
Quebec vacation pay has its own rules — learn what your indemnité de vacances should be.
Written and reviewed by Rocco Clayfield, Founder & DirectorLast reviewed
Short answer
In Quebec, the Act respecting labour standards (enforced by CNESST) sets minimum vacation entitlements based on an employee's length of service with an employer. The vacation indemnity (indemnité de vacances) is calculated as a percentage of gross wages earned during a reference year. The specific percentage and the number of weeks of paid vacation increase with years of service, and the rules for how and when vacation pay is paid can vary based on whether your employer pays it as a lump sum, per period, or at the time of vacation. CNESST is the authoritative source for current rules.
Vacation pay in Quebec is called the indemnité de vacances. Unlike a flat daily-pay calculation, the Quebec system ties your vacation entitlement to a percentage of your gross annual wages during a reference year, and this percentage increases as your tenure with an employer grows. This means two employees earning the same wage but with different seniority may receive different vacation pay percentages.
Quebec employers have some flexibility in how they pay the vacation indemnity: some pay it as a separate lump sum before an employee takes their vacation, some pay it as a percentage added to each pay period, and others pay it at the time the vacation is taken. The method your employer uses affects how vacation pay appears on your pay stub — it may show as a percentage line, a separate "vacation pay" entry, or be embedded in a larger gross pay amount.
This page helps you understand the structure of Quebec vacation pay, what to look for on your stub, and what questions to raise if something looks off. For the exact current percentages and reference year rules, consult CNESST directly at cnesst.gouv.qc.ca/en.
Quebec pay rules at a glance
| Rule | Quebec |
|---|---|
| General minimum wage | $16.60 per hour, in force since 1 May 2026.Employees who receive tips: $13.30 per hour, paid exclusive of tips. Quebec has no student or youth rate. Quebec adjusts the rate each 1 May. |
| Overtime starts after | After 40 hours in a week |
| Overtime rate | 1.5× your regular rate. Quebec has no general daily threshold. |
| Vacation entitlement | 2 weeks from 1 year of service; 3 weeks at 3 years or more |
| Vacation pay | 4% of gross wages under 3 years; 6% at 3 years or more |
| Paid public holidays | 8 statutory holidays |
| Final pay deadline | All sums owing must be paid when the employment ends |
Verified 27 August 2026 against Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST). Rates and rules change, and many industries and occupations have their own exemptions or special rules — confirm your own situation at the official source before acting on it.
Check current Quebec rules at the official source
What this page helps you check
- Confirm whether your employer pays vacation pay as a percentage each period, as a lump sum before vacation, or as pay-during-vacation
- Verify the vacation pay percentage on your stub or in your employment agreement matches or exceeds the CNESST minimum for your years of service
- Check whether vacation pay is calculated on your gross wages (including overtime and other eligible earnings) for the reference year
- If paid as a periodic percentage, ensure the percentage line appears consistently on each stub
- At year end, confirm your total vacation pay received aligns with the correct percentage of your annual gross wages
- If you are a new employee in your first year, confirm what reference year rules apply to your accrual
- At termination, verify your remaining vacation indemnity balance was included in your final pay
How Quebec Vacation Entitlement Works
Quebec's Act respecting labour standards provides minimum paid vacation entitlements tied to years of continuous service with the same employer. Employees with less than a certain threshold of service receive one entitlement; employees beyond that threshold receive a higher entitlement. The corresponding vacation indemnity percentage increases with service as well.
Because the Act is amended periodically and the specific thresholds and percentages can change, this page does not quote the exact current figures. The CNESST website maintains up-to-date information and a plain-language explanation of how vacation entitlement is calculated for different service levels.
The Reference Year
Quebec's vacation system uses a "reference year" — a 12-month period during which an employee's wages are accumulated for the purpose of calculating the following year's vacation indemnity. The default reference year under the Act runs from May 1 to April 30, but employers can use a different reference year if it has been established in an agreement.
Understanding which reference year applies to you matters when calculating what vacation pay you have earned. If you joined mid-year, your first reference year may be a partial year, which affects your initial entitlement. Ask your employer which reference year they use if it is not clear from your employment agreement or company policy.
How Vacation Pay Appears on Your Pay Stub
Different employers show vacation pay differently. If your employer pays the indemnity as a percentage of each pay period's wages, you may see a line like "vacation pay 4%" (or whatever the applicable rate is) added to your gross pay each period. If your employer pays a lump sum before your vacation, the vacation amount may appear as a separate line on a specific pay stub around the time of your leave.
Some employers pay the vacation indemnity at the time the vacation is taken, meaning the stub for the pay period that includes your vacation days will show a vacation pay component. The mechanism varies; what matters is that the total amount you receive over the year equals at least the minimum percentage of your gross wages for the reference year.
Vacation Pay at Termination
When employment ends in Quebec, any accrued but unpaid vacation indemnity must be paid out to the employee. This is true regardless of the reason for termination. If you are leaving a job partway through a reference year, you are entitled to the proportion of vacation pay you have earned up to your last day.
The payout should appear in your final pay or as a separate payment. If vacation pay is absent from your final pay and you believe you had an outstanding balance, raise it with payroll promptly. CNESST can assist if the amount is disputed.
Province & territory note
Quebec works differently
Common red flags worth checking
These do not automatically mean there is an error. They are simply lines worth a closer look, or worth asking payroll to explain.
Vacation pay percentage lower than the CNESST minimum for your service level
If your employment agreement or pay stub shows a vacation pay percentage that is lower than the Act's minimum for someone with your years of service, the minimum legal rate should apply regardless of what was agreed. Check the current CNESST minimums.
Vacation pay not included in final pay
Any accrued vacation indemnity must be paid out at termination. If your final pay does not include a vacation balance and you had remaining vacation pay earned, this is worth querying with your former employer and, if unresolved, with CNESST.
Vacation indemnity calculated on base pay only, excluding overtime
The vacation indemnity in Quebec is calculated on gross wages, which generally includes overtime paid during the reference year. If only base salary is used as the calculation base, the resulting indemnity may be understated.
Vacation pay percentage unchanged despite crossing a service milestone
If your years of service have passed the threshold that triggers a higher vacation entitlement, your vacation pay percentage should increase at that point. If it has not, this may be an oversight worth raising.
No vacation pay line visible despite an agreement to pay it periodically
If your employer agreed to pay vacation pay as a percentage each period and no vacation pay line appears on recent stubs, confirm with payroll whether it is being tracked separately or whether a setup issue has caused it to be omitted.
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Upload your pay stub or payroll document and get a plain-English breakdown with possible questions to ask payroll.
What to ask payroll or HR
Calm, specific questions get clearer answers. You can copy any of these, or build a full message with the Payroll Message Generator.
- “What vacation pay percentage applies to me based on my years of service, and is it the CNESST minimum or something higher per my employment agreement?”
- “Which reference year does our company use for vacation accrual — the default May-to-April period or a different one?”
- “Is my vacation indemnity calculated on my full gross wages including overtime, or only on base pay?”
- “How is vacation pay shown on my pay stub — as a periodic percentage, a lump sum before my leave, or at the time I take vacation?”
- “My years of service recently passed a milestone that I believe triggers a higher entitlement — has my vacation pay percentage been updated?”
Frequently asked questions
Is my vacation pay in Quebec based on days off or a percentage of wages?
It is both — but expressed in a particular way. Quebec law entitles you to a certain number of weeks of paid vacation, and the corresponding indemnity is calculated as a percentage of your gross wages during the reference year. The percentage is designed so that the indemnity approximates your normal weekly pay for the vacation weeks, but the legal floor is the percentage-of-wages figure.
What is the reference year for vacation in Quebec?
The default reference year under the Act runs from May 1 to April 30. Employers can use a different reference year if one has been established in an employment agreement or policy. The vacation you take in a given year is generally calculated based on wages earned in the prior reference year.
Can my employer pay vacation pay each pay period instead of before my vacation?
Yes. Quebec allows employers to pay the vacation indemnity as a percentage added to each regular pay period, rather than as a lump sum before or during the vacation. This arrangement must be agreed to and clearly identified on the pay stub. If you receive vacation pay each period, it is being pre-paid incrementally.
Does vacation pay apply to overtime earnings?
Generally, yes. The vacation indemnity under Quebec law is calculated on gross wages, which typically includes overtime paid during the reference year. If your employer is calculating vacation pay only on your base salary and excluding overtime, the indemnity may be understated.
What happens to my vacation pay if I am laid off or resign?
Any accrued but unpaid vacation indemnity must be paid out when employment ends, regardless of the reason. The amount owed is the portion of the reference year's indemnity that has been earned up to the last day of work.
My employer gives me more vacation than the legal minimum — does the Act still apply?
The Act sets minimums that cannot be reduced by agreement, but employers can always provide more. If your employment agreement offers a higher vacation percentage or more weeks than the Act requires, the more generous terms apply. The Act is a floor, not a ceiling.
Where can I find the current vacation entitlement minimums?
CNESST publishes the current vacation entitlement rules at cnesst.gouv.qc.ca/en. Because these rules can change when the Act is amended, the CNESST website is the most reliable place to confirm the current minimums rather than relying on figures quoted in older sources.
Official sources for this page
Every figure here is derived from these. Where a number matters to you, read it at the source — PayStub IQ Canada explains the rules, it does not set them.
- Source deductions and employer contributions — Revenu Québec
- Labour standards: wages, hours and leave — CNESST
- QPP maximum pensionable earnings and contribution rate — Revenu Québec
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Helpful guidance, not advice
PayStub IQ Canada provides educational payroll explanations based on the information visible in your document. It does not provide legal, tax, accounting, payroll, CRA, Revenu Québec, or employment standards advice. For official decisions or corrections, contact your employer, payroll department, CRA, Revenu Québec, your provincial or territorial employment standards office, or a qualified professional.