Northern labor standards – vacation pay

I got into a discussion about vacation pay over the weekend, and Rachel just sent me the legal requirements for vacation pay across Canada. The Yukon, along with Ontario and Prince Edward Island, lags behind with only 2 weeks (or 4% of your wages) required regardless of how long you’ve been with a particular employer.

In Alaska, though, there is no legal requirement for any vacation pay. As well, the minimum wage in the Yukon is $8.58, while in Alaska it’s $7.15. When you add Alaska’s PFD and energy grants, though, a single person in Alaska working full time (2,080 hours per year) effectively gets another $1.53 added to their wages. Interesting stuff…