Vacation, Sick Leave and Working Hours: Canada vs Italy

Canadian employment standards give a modest vacation floor, paid as a percentage of wages, and only a few job-protected sick days. Italy starts higher on every count: four weeks’ paid leave from the first year, twelve national public holidays and paid sick leave from day one. Full comparison on Italy vs Canada .

Vacation  

Ontario ESA:

• Under 5 years: 2 weeks after each 12-month entitlement year, with vacation pay of at least 4% of gross wages.
• 5 years or more: 3 weeks, with 6% vacation pay.

Canada Labour Code (federal): 2 weeks (4%) after one year, 3 weeks (6%) after 5 years and 4 weeks (8%) after 10 years.

BC and Quebec have similar 2-to-3-week structures. Many Canadian employers offer more by contract, often three weeks from the start for professional roles.

Italy: every employee is entitled to at least four weeks of paid annual leave (ferie) a year from day one (art. 10 D.Lgs. 66/2003). At least two weeks must be taken in the year they accrue (consecutively if the employee asks), and the rest within 18 months. Leave cannot be replaced by payment except on termination. Leave is paid as normal salary, not as a percentage on top.

Most CCNLs add ROL (riduzione orario di lavoro) and ex-holiday hours, often 72 to over 100 hours a year, which work like extra paid time off. In practice an Italian office employee often has about 5–6 weeks of paid time off before public holidays.

Public holidays  

Ontario has nine public holidays: New Year’s Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Boxing Day. Federal and other provincial lists differ.

Italy has 12 national holidays that can fall on a workday, including 4 October (St Francis) restored from 2026 by Law 151/2025, plus Easter Monday and the local patron saint’s day. A holiday falling on a Sunday is usually compensated under the CCNL. Many Italian businesses also slow down in August.

Sick leave  

Ontario ESA: up to 3 days of job-protected sick leave per calendar year after two consecutive weeks of employment. The ESA does not require them to be paid. Longer illness is often covered by EI sickness benefits or a private disability plan. Federally regulated employees have separate paid medical leave.

Italy: sick leave is paid from the first day with an online medical certificate sent by the doctor to INPS. INPS pays 50% of pay from day 4 to day 20 and 66.66% from day 21 up to 180 days a year; the CCNL usually requires the employer to top up to near full pay and to pay days 1–3. For industry white-collar staff, the employer pays sick pay directly under the CCNL. The job is protected for a period called the comporto, set by the CCNL (often around six months). INPS can send a doctor to check the employee at home during set hours.

Working hours and overtime  

Ontario: up to 8 hours a day and 48 hours a week without an agreement; overtime at 1.5 times after 44 hours a week.

Italy: normal week of 40 hours, a maximum average of 48 including overtime, and overtime capped at 250 hours a year unless the CCNL says otherwise. Overtime is paid at CCNL premium rates. Employees are entitled to 11 consecutive hours of rest a day and a weekly rest day.

Side by side  

Common questions from Canadian employers  

Can we pay out unused vacation each year? No. In Italy the four weeks must be taken; payment in lieu is allowed only on termination.

Is unlimited PTO possible? It can be offered on top, but the employer must still make sure four weeks are actually taken and record them.

Do we pay employees on sick leave? Through payroll, yes: the employer advances the INPS amount and deducts it from contributions, and pays any CCNL top-up.

Do part-time employees get four weeks too? Yes, four weeks of their normal working pattern, with pay pro-rated to their hours.

What other leave exists? Italian law and CCNLs provide paid leave for marriage (usually 15 days), bereavement, blood donation, study hours and care of a disabled relative (Law 104/1992: three days a month). Ontario has its own family responsibility and bereavement leaves under the ESA.

Counting the days: an example  

A Toronto employee with two years’ service has 10 days of ESA vacation and 9 public holidays: 19 paid days off before any contractual extras. An Italian office employee in year one typically has 20 days of ferie, about 9–13 days’ worth of ROL and ex-holiday hours under the CCNL, and up to 12 national holidays plus the patron saint. That is often 40 or more paid days off. Factor this into project plans and into the real hourly cost of the role.

What this means if you hire through an EOR  

The EOR tracks leave, ROL and sickness in payroll, handles INPS certificates and applies the CCNL top-ups. You approve time off as you would at home. Plan for August and for the higher number of paid days off when setting targets. See the cost calculator , Italian employment contracts , other countries or contact us .

Related guides for companies in Canada  

• Pregnancy and parental leave: Canada vs Italy
• CPP and EI vs INPS: the real employer cost
• Employment standards in Canada vs the Italian contract and CCNL

General information, not legal advice.