Vacation time is the time off work an employee is entitled to each year under employment standards or a contract.
The time off and the pay associated with it are distinct. Ontario’s employment standards guidance, for example, addresses vacation time and vacation pay separately. In Ontario, most employees are entitled to two weeks of vacation time after each 12-month entitlement year, and to three weeks once they have five years of employment. Which employment standards apply depends on the jurisdiction of the work. A vacancy that offers vacation time and other paid absences may have different conditions for each. Look for the amount of time, the basis on which it is earned and any separately described allowance before comparing the offer with another employer’s.
In job listings
Chanel’s Toronto regional sales manager vacancy listed annual leave, sick days, volunteer days and time off for a birthday separately. A Canadian candidate reading that list can distinguish vacation from the other absences on offer. Ask how many days are offered, since the list does not say.
