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Country hiring guide

Hiring in Canada ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ

Canada offers a highly skilled, bilingual workforce with employment rules set mostly at the provincial level. All-in employer cost runs around 1.12x the gross salary. Here is what to know before your first Canadian hire.

Calculate a Canada hire โ†’
Capital cityOttawa
CurrencyCanadian dollar (CAD)
LanguagesEnglish, French
Population~40 million
Payroll frequencyBi-weekly or semi-monthly
VAT standard rate5% GST + provincial (HST/PST)
Employer burden*~8-11% of gross
TGTC flat EOR fee$399/mo ยท Tier A
Overview

Employing in Canada

Employment standards, minimum wage, leave, and termination are governed province by province, with a separate federal regime for some industries. Written contracts are standard, and common-law 'reasonable notice' can exceed statutory minimums unless a valid contract limits it.

Minimum wage

  • Federal $18.15/hr (2026)
  • Provincial range ~$15.00-$19.75/hr
  • The higher of the two applies

Payroll cycle & extra pay

  • Bi-weekly most common; semi-monthly used
  • No 13th-month salary
  • Overtime 1.5x after 40 hrs/week*

Public holidays

  • 10 federal general holidays
  • Provinces vary ~5-13 (Ontario 9)
  • Statutory holiday pay required

Onboarding & probation

  • Probation ~3 months typical
  • No statutory probation limit
  • Written contract standard
Employer costs

What you pay on top of salary

Employer costs are moderate, around 12%, mainly Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance contributions plus provincial levies such as workers' compensation and health taxes.

Employer contribution*Rate
CPP (employer, base)5.95%*
CPP2 (employer)4.00%*
EI (employer, 1.4x employee)~2.28%*
Employer Health Tax (some provinces)up to 1.95%*
Workers' compensation (WSIB)~0.18-5%+*

Annual caps

CPP and EI apply up to annual maximums, so higher salaries carry a smaller effective percentage. Rates and ceilings are set federally each year; Quebec runs its own QPP and QPIP.

Employee-side taxes

Employees pay federal and provincial income tax plus their CPP/EI share, withheld at source. Remittance is the employer's responsibility, which under EOR means ours.

Types of leave

Statutory leave in Canada

Annual leave

  • 2 weeks after 1 year; 3 after 5
  • Vacation pay 4%/6% of wages

Maternity & parental leave

  • Maternity up to 15 weeks via EI
  • Parental up to 40 weeks standard / 69 extended

Sick leave

  • Federal: up to 10 paid sick days/year
  • EI sickness benefits up to 26 weeks

Other leave

  • Bereavement, family-responsibility, pregnancy-loss
  • Provincial entitlements vary
Employment termination

Ending employment in Canada

Notice

  • Federal: ~1 week/year, 2-8 weeks
  • Common-law notice often larger*

Severance

  • Federal: 2 days' wages/year (min 5 days)
  • Applies at 12+ months service

Probation

  • ~3 months; reduced notice within
  • Minimum standards still owed

Contractor risk

  • Courts apply control/integration tests
  • Misclassification: back taxes, benefits, penalties

*All figures are estimates from public sources (2025-26), pending ops verification - same basis as the EOR cost calculator. Not tax or legal advice.

Employ in Canada without opening a provincial entity

Compliant Canadian employment contract, payroll, CPP/EI, and benefits, handled. One invoice, flat $399 per month.

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