Yukon Leave Laws & Holidays

Last updated on February 27, 2026.

Paid Time Off (PTO) in Yukon

Vacation Leave Quota 

2 consecutive weeks 

In Yukon, employees are entitled to 2 consecutive weeks of vacation leave after the first year of employment. An employer must provide vacation time to an employee within 10 months of the employee completing one year of employment. 

Employees are entitled to vacation pay of 4% of gross wages. An employer is required to begin paying vacation pay to an employee after the employee has worked for the company for a consecutive period of 14 days. 

PTO Accrual 

Employers are generally free to design their own vacation accrual system, although it is usually based on the pay period (payroll cycle). 

Roll Over

The “use-it-or-lose-it” policy is illegal in Yukon.    

The “use-it-or-lose-it” refers to a policy or benefit that requires employees to use a certain amount of vacation time within a certain timeframe, or risk losing it. 

Payment of Accrued, Unused Vacation on Termination 

The employee’s earnings must be paid upon termination of employment. 

Sick Leave in Yukon

12 days. 

An employee is entitled to up to 12 days of unpaid sick leave. The leave is earned at the rate of 1 day per completed month of employment. Sick leave cannot be carried over to another year. 

Maternity, Paternity, and Parental Leave in Yukon

Maternity Leave 

Up to 17 weeks of job-protected unpaid leave. 

Employees who have been employed for at least 12 consecutive months are entitled to up to 17 weeks of job-protected unpaid leave. An employee must provide four weeks’ notice and a medical certificate. The employer may require the employee to take maternity leave at any time within the 6 weeks prior to her estimated due date. 

Parental Leave 

63 weeks to 71 weeks. 

An employee is entitled to both maternity and parental leave. 

An employee who takes parental leave on their own may take up to 63 weeks of leave. If both parents take parental leave, they may take up to 71 weeks combined. This exception only applies if the first employee on leave is unable to care for the child due to injury, illness, death, or other family hardship. The parental leave must be completed within 78 weeks of the child’s birth or adoption. 

Bereavement Leave in Yukon

One week of unpaid leave. 

An employee is entitled to up to one week of unpaid leave if a family member dies and the funeral occurs within that week. If an employee is designated by a First Nation family as the person responsible for organizing a funeral potlatch, they are also entitled to up to one week of unpaid leave. 

Payout 

Bereavement leave in Yukon is unpaid. 

Jury Duty Leave in Yukon

An employer must allow an employee to take time off from work, with or without pay, to serve as a juror if they are summoned or selected for jury duty. While the employer may choose to not pay the employee during this leave of absence, they are not allowed to discriminate against the employee in any other way, such as by reducing their wages or altering their employment conditions, due to their jury duty service.

Reservists’ Leave in Yukon

Up to 15 days of annual training. 

Employees who have been employed with the same employer for at least 6 consecutive months are entitled to job-protected unpaid leave. Leave applies to reservists deployed for overseas missions, including pre- and post-deployment duties related to the operation, and to both Reservists and Rangers deployed for domestic emergencies, for up to 15 days of annual training. 

Voting Leave in Yukon

Time off with pay. 

Eligible employees are granted time off with pay to vote in federal, territorial, and municipal elections, in accordance with federal and territorial laws, without the need to submit a written request. In rare cases where an employee must travel a significant distance to vote, the deputy minister may approve additional time off with pay. 

Statutory Holidays in Yukon

11 statutory holidays. 

The statutory holidays in Yukon are: 

(*) - Formerly National Aboriginal Day

(*) - Discovery Day is a public holiday observed exclusively in the Yukon Territory.

Sources of Yukon Leave Laws

1. Employment Standards Act – Government of Yukon, https://yukon.ca/sites/yukon.ca/files/cs/cs-employment-standards-special-leave.pdf

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Our Leave Laws pages provide you all you need to know about other Canadian provinces’ laws as well as various other countries.