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Alberta.ca Account
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General holiday flexibility engagement

Albertans can share feedback on ways to make it easier for employees to observe cultural holidays.

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General holiday flexibility engagement

Overview

We are gathering feedback on ways to make it easier for more employees in Alberta to observe cultural holidays. Alberta’s population is becoming more diverse and we want to help more people living in the province feel welcome and comfortable.

To accomplish this goal, we’ve identified 2 potential approaches that we are seeking your input on: 

  • amend the Employment Standards Code to allow existing general holidays to be substituted for a cultural holiday with an employer’s consent, or
  • increase awareness of employers’ existing ability under the Code to designate additional or substitute holidays through workplace policies or agreements (no legislative amendments)

Status

  • Open

    Complete the online survey by December 19, 2025.

  • Results under review

  • Completed

Who is listening

Ministry of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration

Get informed

Alberta’s Employment Standards Code establishes 9 general holidays in Alberta (sometimes called statutory holidays).

On a general holiday, eligible employees are entitled to general holiday pay. For more information on general holidays and general holiday pay, see Employment standards – Alberta general holidays.

Get involved

Online survey

Complete the online survey by December 19, 2025, to help us better understand:

  • how workplaces currently operate with respect to cultural holidays
  • the viability of the 2 approaches to increasing general holiday flexibility
  • the implications of each approach on employers and employees

  • Option 1: Substitute general holidays with cultural holidays

    The first approach under consideration would involve amending the Employment Standards Code to allow employees to substitute a general holiday for a cultural holiday with the employer’s consent.

    Taking this approach would mean the 9 original general holidays will apply to employees by default unless the employee specifically requests, and the employer agrees, to replace a standard general holiday with a cultural holiday.

  • Option 2: Increase awareness of the employer’s ability to designate additional general holidays for cultural observance

    Currently, employers have the authority to recognize other days as general holidays in addition to the 9 general holidays. Employees can ask their employer to recognize additional days as general holidays. Once an employer has designated an additional holiday, all employment standards general holiday pay rules apply to that day.

    Using this approach, there would be no change to Alberta’s general holiday rules but the Government of Alberta would work to raise awareness amongst employees and businesses of the option to designate additional general holidays.

Complete the online survey by December 19, 2025.

Take the survey

Indigenous engagement

Indigenous-based organizations, including those representing employer, employee and small-business perspectives, have been invited to share feedback through the online survey.

Stakeholder engagement

Employer and employee stakeholders with an interest in proposed approaches to increase flexibility for employees to observe cultural holidays have been invited to share feedback through the online survey.

How we got here

In 2023, the former Ministry of Immigration and Multiculturalism was given a mandate from Alberta’s Premier to provide flexibility for employees to more easily observe major cultural or religious holidays, without placing undue hardship or expense on Alberta businesses.

In 2025, this mandate was transferred to the Ministry of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration and is being led by the Associate Minister of Multiculturalism.

We collected information and feedback through a survey from key employer, employee and Indigenous stakeholders on general holiday flexibility in August and September, 2025.

This feedback helped inform the 2 potential approaches that we are seeking feedback on.

Outcomes

Your input will help us determine next steps to ensure that general holidays reflect the needs of Alberta’s workplaces and cultural communities.

Contact

Connect with the General Holiday Flexibility engagement:

Email: [email protected]

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