Teachers - Employment standards exceptions

Basic rules

• Employers are exempt from being required to pay teachers general holiday pay or provide general holidays.
• Employers are exempt from being required to pay teachers vacation pay or vacation days.

Teacher

A teacher is someone who is employed in a position that requires the employee to hold a certificate of qualification as a teacher under the Education Act, by one of the following people or groups:

• a school board as defined in the Education Act
• a Francophone regional authority as defined in the Education Act
• the operator of a private school accredited under the Education Act
• the operator of a charter school established under the Education Act
• the school board as defined in the Northland School Division Act

General holidays and pay

Teachers are not entitled to general holiday pay.

Minimum standards for general holidays and general holiday pay

• Employees already receive consideration for general holidays within the school calendar.
• If an employee works on a general holiday, it is treated as a regular day of work with respect to the calculation and payment of wages and overtime pay.

Vacations and vacation pay

Teachers are not entitled to vacation pay.

Minimum standards for vacations and vacation pay

• A teacher’s salary is annual. Teachers receive vacation during the summer and at specified times throughout the school year.

Additional Employment Standards

In addition to the special provisions outlined above, all other minimum standards for employment apply to teachers.

Learn more about Alberta employment standards rules.

How the law applies

Part 4 of the Employment Standards Regulation outlines the provisions that apply to teachers, including alternate standards for general holidays and general holiday pay and vacations and vacation pay as listed in sections 44 - 50.

Contact

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