On September 13, 2022, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced plans for a national day of mourning for federal government employees on Monday, September 19, 2022, the date of the Queen’s funeral.
September 19, 2022, will be a paid general holiday for federal government employees, according to the announcement made by Prime Minister Trudeau. While the general holiday is not mandated for all federally or provincially regulated employers, the prime minister indicated there will be efforts to encourage the provinces and territories to coordinate provincial and territorial holidays for mourning the Queen’s death.
These holidays, if provincially and territorially legislated, would extend this holiday and holiday pay entitlements to provincially and territorially regulated employees.
Employers with collective agreements that reference the recognition of federal holidays should carefully review the language of their collective agreement to determine whether the national day of mourning applies in their workplace. MLT Aikins has a number of lawyers who specialize in collective agreement interpretation and would be pleased to assist. Contact us to learn how we can help.
Note: This article is of a general nature only and is not exhaustive of all possible legal rights or remedies. In addition, laws may change over time and should be interpreted only in the context of particular circumstances such that these materials are not intended to be relied upon or taken as legal advice or opinion. Readers should consult a legal professional for specific advice in any particular situation.