Holiday Pay Calculator — Estimate Unpaid Holiday Pay
Enter your hourly rate, hours per holiday, and number of unpaid holidays — get an instant estimate of holiday pay owed.
Formula: Hourly rate × hours per holiday × number of unpaid holidays. Example: $20/hr × 8 hours × 3 holidays = $480 owed. No federal law requires holiday pay in the US — eligibility depends on your state and employer policy.
Estimated unpaid holiday pay: —
On this page: How holiday pay is calculated · Who qualifies · US vs Canada rules · FAQ
Related: Holiday pay laws and employer obligations · Back pay calculator · Unused vacation pay calculator
How This Holiday Pay Calculator Works
This is a base-pay arithmetic calculator. It multiplies hourly rate × paid hours per holiday × number of unpaid holidays. Use it when your entitlement can reasonably be expressed as a set number of paid hours.
Holiday Pay Example
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Hourly rate | $20.00 |
| Paid hours per holiday | 8 hours |
| Unpaid holidays | 5 |
| Base estimate | $800.00 |
The legal holiday-pay formula may be different. For example, federal Canadian general-holiday pay for most federally regulated employees is based on at least 1/20 of wages, excluding overtime, earned in the 4-week period before the holiday week. Use the Holiday Pay Laws guide before treating the calculator result as an entitlement.
Who May Be Entitled to Holiday Pay?
The calculator does not decide entitlement. The source of the right matters:
- US private-sector workers: The FLSA does not require pay for holidays or other time not worked. Holiday pay can still be owed under an employment contract, employer policy, collective bargaining agreement, or another applicable rule.
- Federally regulated Canadian workers: Eligible employees have general-holiday rights under the Canada Labour Code, with a statutory calculation that can differ from this simple hours-based estimate.
- Other Canadian workers: Provincial or territorial employment standards normally determine public-holiday entitlement and calculation rules.
Official references: U.S. Department of Labor — Holiday Pay and Canada.ca — General Holidays.
Holiday Pay: US vs Canada
| Question | United States | Canada |
|---|---|---|
| General federal private-sector holiday-pay requirement? | No FLSA requirement for time not worked | Federal standards provide general-holiday rights only for federally regulated workplaces |
| Other workers | Contract, policy, union agreement, and state-specific rules can matter | Provincial or territorial standards usually apply outside federal jurisdiction |
| Can the legal formula differ from hourly rate × hours? | Yes — employer/contract terms control the promised benefit | Yes — statutory formulas often use prior-period wages or other defined methods |
For legal-rule detail rather than arithmetic, use Holiday Pay Laws — US & Canada.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does this holiday pay calculator estimate?
It estimates a base holiday-pay amount using hourly rate × paid hours per holiday × number of unpaid holidays. It does not determine whether you are legally entitled to holiday pay.
Is private-sector holiday pay required by US federal law?
No. The FLSA does not require private employers to pay for holidays or other time not worked. A contract, employer policy, collective agreement, or other applicable rule can still create a holiday-pay right.
Does this calculator use the Canadian statutory holiday formula?
Not necessarily. Canadian federal, provincial, and territorial rules use jurisdiction-specific formulas. For most federally regulated employees, federal general-holiday pay is based on at least 1/20 of qualifying wages earned in the 4 weeks before the holiday week.
Can unpaid holiday pay be recovered?
If holiday pay was legally required or promised by an enforceable contract, policy, or collective agreement and was not paid, a wage or contract remedy may be available. The process and filing deadline depend on the jurisdiction and source of the right.
Does this calculator include overtime or holiday premium pay?
No. It estimates base holiday pay only and does not add overtime, holiday-work premiums, penalties, interest, or other multipliers.
Where can I check the actual holiday-pay rule?
Use the Holiday Pay Laws guide for the US-versus-Canada framework, then confirm the rule with the relevant government labour agency, contract, employer policy, or collective agreement.
Not sure which calculator fits your situation? See all wage and pay calculators.