News Release

FREDERICTON (GNB) – With New Brunswick’s first Family Day approaching, the government is reminding employers and workers of the new paid public holiday.

Family Day will be observed on the third Monday in February. It will put New Brunswick in line with eight other Canadian jurisdictions that observe a paid holiday in February, and will bring the province up to the national average of eight paid public holidays per year.

“Your government is listening to New Brunswickers and wants to provide them with more time to spend with family and friends,” said Labour, Employment and Population Growth Minister Gilles LePage. “With Family Day this year, all New Brunswick employees with a provincially regulated employer will have eight paid holidays. They will now get to enjoy an extra day off, which encourages a healthier work-life balance for all New Brunswickers.”

Employers who had already negotiated eight or more paid holidays for unionized employees under their collective agreement are exempt from adding an extra paid holiday. While some collective agreements may contain language requiring any new paid public holiday be provided to employees covered by the agreement, not all collective agreements have that provision.

“The Employment Standards Act sets minimum rights and responsibilities for all provincially regulated employers and employees, including public holiday pay,” said LePage. “When Family Day was established, the act was amended to increase the number of paid public holidays from seven to eight.”

More information on public holidays is available on the Employment Standards website.