Remembering Queen Elizabeth II – Is Monday a Holiday?
The federal government has announced that Monday, September 19, the date of Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, is a holiday. You may wonder what that means for you as an employer or for regular business services such as banking or purchasing.
The federal government does not decide which holidays are statutory holidays, except for its employees and employees in federally regulated industries, such as banks and airlines. At this point, it appears the day will be a holiday for federal government employees (think CRA, Service Canada, etc.) but not for federally-regulated industries. Most large banks have announced that they will be open for business as usual, but they will be observing a moment of silence at some point during the day.
Labour regulations for all other employers are determined by the province in which they are resident. Therefore, the rules you must follow are determined by your province. At this point, none of the provinces or territories have announced a statutory holiday for Monday, September 19. However, nuances in each province’s announcements are worth noting. Here’s a summary of how each province is handling the memorial day:
Newfoundland and Labrador
Government offices and schools will close. However, other businesses and organizations will not be required to close, and employees are not entitled to a paid holiday.
Nova Scotia
Government offices and schools will close. However, health care services will continue. Other businesses and organizations will not be required to close, and employees are not entitled to a paid holiday.
New Brunswick
Government offices and schools will close. However, other businesses and organizations will not be required to close, and employees are not entitled to a paid holiday.
Prince Edward Island
Government offices and schools will close. However, other businesses and organizations will not be required to close, and employees are not entitled to a paid holiday.
Quebec
The province will have a day of commemoration but will not observe a holiday.
Ontario
The province will have a day of commemoration but will not observe a holiday. Instead, residents are encouraged to observe a moment of silence at 1 pm.
Manitoba
“Non-essential” government offices will be closed. Schools will be open, but classes are encouraged to observe a moment of silence. Other businesses and organizations will not be required to close, and employees are not entitled to a paid holiday.
Saskatchewan
The province will have a day of commemoration but will not observe a holiday.
Alberta
The province will have a day of commemoration but will not observe a holiday. However, schools and workplaces are encouraged to observe a moment of silence and to make accommodations for employees who want to commemorate the passing of Her Majesty.
British Columbia
Government offices and schools will close. Other businesses and organizations will not be required to close, and employees are not entitled to a paid holiday. However, employers are encouraged to commemorate the event in a way that is appropriate for their employees.
Northwest Territories
Business as usual
Yukon
Government offices and schools will close. However, other businesses and organizations will not be required to close, and employees are not entitled to a paid holiday.
Nunavut
No announcements yet from the Territorial Government.
BTW – ATMOS will be open for business as usual. If you would like to talk to us about issues in this post, or any other, schedule an appointment by visiting our scheduling page.