A step-by-step guide to time off in Canada

How to structure and manage employee time off are among the most common questions we’re asked at Collage.

On the one hand, this is an encouraging sign. More and more businesses are recognizing the value of a well-designed time off package, both for their employees’ well-being and to keep compliance in check. (After all, improper vacation pay is one of the most costly and recurring ESA violations in Ontario.)

On the other hand, the sheer volume of questions we’re asked—What’s included in a time off policy? How do I calculate accruals? Are all employees entitled to leave?—suggests that employers need more information and insight about how time off works in Canada.

That’s why this summer, we dived into the topic to create two free Time Off Guides.

The first, Time off Explained, gets into the nitty gritty of understanding time off procedures and best practices for creating a policy that works. [Get more information on the second guide here.]

From understanding time off law to the six questions you need to ask before launching a time off policy, we’ve distilled the essentials of time off for small business owners.

And at the very end, print out our four-step cheat sheet for building your own time off policy from scratch.

Paid time off is the single most important personal benefit you can offer your employees. It touches everything from payroll and employment law to company culture and productivity.

With so much on the line, it’s worth understanding how to get time off right.

Download the Time Off Explained Guide

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This is the first in our summer time off series. Want to know how your company’s time off stacks up? We surveyed over 200 Canadian customers about their time off policies. Get the results in our 2017 Time Off Benchmarks report.