What are the rules about vacation pay?

The amount of vacation pay that you get depends on how long you have worked for your employer.

If you have worked less than 5 years, vacation pay must be at least 4% of the wages, not including vacation pay, that you earn during your entitlement year.

If you have worked 5 years or more, your vacation pay must be at least 6% of the wages, not including vacation pay, that you earn during your entitlement year.

If your entitlement year starts on a different date than the date you started working, you also get vacation pay from your first day of work to the day before the entitlement year begins.

The general rule is that your employer has to pay you your vacation pay before your vacation starts. But they can pay it on your regular pay day while you are on vacation if:

• they pay by direct deposit into your bank account, or
• you are taking less than one week of vacation.

If you already got your vacation pay, you get the time off without pay. For example, some employers add vacation pay to your wages every pay period.

When you leave a job, your employer must pay you any vacation pay they owe you.