Shift premiums · checked November 1, 2026

Night Shift Premium in Canada

There is no legal night shift premium in Canada: employment standards laws don’t require one. Where a premium exists, it comes from a collective agreement or your contract. In the big public agreements below, night premiums run $2.25 to $5.00 an hour and weekend premiums $2.15 to $3.50, each figure taken from the agreement itself.

Is there a legal night shift premium?

No employment standards law in Canada, federal, provincial or territorial, requires a shift premium for nights, evenings or weekends. They set the minimum wage, overtime and public holiday pay; Ontario’s ESA even uses "premium pay" only for working on a public holiday. A night premium is owed only if your collective agreement, employment contract or employer policy promises one.

Most private employers that pay a premium set it themselves, so there is no "standard" rate to compare against. Union agreements are the best public benchmark, because their figures are published.

Shift premiums in Canadian collective agreements

Agreement	Evening	Night	Weekend	On overtime hours
ONA hospitals (Ontario)	$2.25 (Art. 14.10)	$2.98 (Art. 14.10)	$3.14 (Art. 14.15)	Paid, not multiplied
BCNU / NBA (British Columbia)	$1.40 (Art. 28.01)	$5.00 (Art. 28.01), + super shift $1.85 (Art. 28.03)	$3.50 (Art. 28.02)	Paid, not multiplied
UNA (Alberta)	$2.75 (Art. 28.01(a))	$5.00 (Art. 28.01(b))	$3.25 (Art. 28.02)	Paid, not multiplied
CUPE hospitals (Ontario)	$2.26 (Art. 15.09)	$2.98 (Art. 15.09)	$3.14 (Art. 15.09)	Paid, not multiplied
HEU / Facilities (British Columbia)	$1.90 (Art. 22.01)	$3.40 (Art. 22.02)	$2.15 (Art. 22.03)	Not stated
SUN (Saskatchewan)	$3.75 (Art. 14.01(a))	$3.75 (Art. 14.01(a))	$3.10 (Art. 14.02)	Not paid
PSAC PA group (federal)	$2.25 (Art. 27.01)	$2.25 (Art. 27.01)	$2.25 (Art. 27.02)	Paid, not multiplied

Dollars an hour, in effect on November 1, 2026. Where one rate covers evenings and nights (SUN, PSAC) it appears in both columns. Each agreement’s exact hours, articles and dates are below.

What the agreements have in common

Night premiums are $2.25 to $5.00 an hour; evening premiums, where they are separate, $1.40 to $2.75; weekend premiums $2.15 to $3.50.
The premium is a flat amount added to the hourly rate, not a percentage, and it is not part of the base rate. ONA hospitals (Ontario), for example, pays $2.98 for each night hour and says the premium doesn’t form part of the straight-time hourly rate.
Most agreements pay the premium on overtime hours at the flat amount (ONA hospitals (Ontario), BCNU / NBA (British Columbia), UNA (Alberta), CUPE hospitals (Ontario) and PSAC PA group (federal)). SUN (Saskatchewan) pays no shift differential on overtime hours.
Which hours count is set by the agreement: some pay on every hour of a shift that falls mostly in the night window, others only on the hours inside it. Weekend premiums usually run from Friday night to Sunday night and are paid on top of the night premium.

Each agreement

ONA hospitals (Ontario): Hospital Provincial Collective Agreement

Ontario Nurses’ Association and the participating hospitals (Ontario Hospital Association). Covers: Registered nurses and other ONA members in Ontario hospitals. Term: April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2027. Published as Draft 3; ONA says the draft is in effect while the final text is settled.

Evening premium: $2.25 an hour (Art. 14.10). Each hour in the evening shift (hours set locally, 7.5 hours). In effect: for the whole 2025–2027 term (no step date in the clause).
Night premium: $2.98 an hour (Art. 14.10). Each hour in the night shift (hours set locally, 7.5 hours). In effect: for the whole 2025–2027 term (no step date in the clause).
Weekend premium: $3.14 an hour (Art. 14.15). Each hour from 2400 Friday to 2400 Sunday, or another 48 hours agreed locally. In effect: for the whole 2025–2027 term (no step date in the clause).

On overtime: The shift premium ("tour differential") is not part of the straight-time hourly rate (14.10). Premiums don’t pyramid, but overtime doesn’t take away the tour differential (14.01).

Source: ONA Hospital Provincial Collective Agreement (Draft 3), to March 31, 2027

BCNU / NBA (British Columbia): Nurses’ Bargaining Association Provincial Collective Agreement

Nurses’ Bargaining Association (BC Nurses’ Union) and the Health Employers Association of BC. Covers: Nurses in BC health authorities and affiliated employers. Term: April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2025. Expired; its terms stay in force until a new agreement is ratified (members rejected a tentative agreement in June 2026).

Evening premium: $1.40 an hour (Art. 28.01). All hours of a shift with half or more of its hours between 1530 and 2330. In effect: since April 1, 2023.
Night premium: $5.00 an hour (Art. 28.01). All hours of a shift with half or more of its hours between 2330 and 0730. In effect: since April 1, 2023.
Weekend premium: $3.50 an hour (Art. 28.02). Each hour from 2300 Friday to 2300 Sunday. In effect: since April 1, 2023.
Super shift premium: $1.85 an hour (Art. 28.03). Each hour 2330 Friday to 0730 Saturday and 2330 Saturday to 0730 Sunday, on top of night and weekend premiums. In effect: since April 1, 2023.

On overtime: "The shift premium shall apply to overtime hours worked during the evening or night shift" (28.01).

Source: NBA Provincial Collective Agreement 2022–2025 (BCNU)

UNA (Alberta): Provincial Collective Agreement

United Nurses of Alberta and Alberta Health Services, Covenant Health and the other provincial health employers. Covers: Registered nurses and other UNA members in Alberta’s public health system. Term: April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2028.

Evening premium: $2.75 an hour (Art. 28.01(a)). A shift mostly between 1500 and 2300, or each scheduled hour in that window when more than 1 hour falls in it. In effect: for the whole 2024–2028 term (no step date in the clause).
Night premium: $5.00 an hour (Art. 28.01(b)). A shift mostly between 2300 and 0700, or each scheduled hour in that window when more than 1 hour falls in it. In effect: for the whole 2024–2028 term (no step date in the clause).
Weekend premium: $3.25 an hour (Art. 28.02). A shift mostly within the 64 hours from 1500 Friday. In effect: for the whole 2024–2028 term (no step date in the clause).

On overtime: The differentials and weekend premium are paid on overtime hours that fall in their windows (28.01(a)(iii), (b)(iii), 28.02(c)), and are "not … part of the Employee’s Basic Rate of Pay" (28.03).

Source: UNA Provincial Collective Agreement 2024–2028

CUPE hospitals (Ontario): Hospital Central Collective Agreement (full-time)

CUPE (Ontario Council of Hospital Unions) and the participating Ontario hospitals. Covers: CUPE hospital staff in Ontario: RPNs, PSWs, clerical, service and trades. Term: To September 28, 2028 (the 2025–2028 central agreement).

Evening premium: $2.26 an hour (Art. 15.09). All hours when most scheduled hours fall between 1500 and 2300. In effect: for the whole 2025–2028 term (no step date in the clause).
Night premium: $2.98 an hour (Art. 15.09). All hours when most scheduled hours fall between 2300 and 0700. In effect: for the whole 2025–2028 term (no step date in the clause).
Weekend premium: $3.14 an hour (Art. 15.09). Each hour from 2400 Friday to 2400 Sunday, or another 48 hours agreed locally; paid on top of the shift premium. In effect: for the whole 2025–2028 term (no step date in the clause).

On overtime: Premiums don’t pyramid, but overtime doesn’t take away the shift premium (15.03).

Source: CUPE/OCHU hospital central agreement, full-time, 2025–2028

HEU / Facilities (British Columbia): Facilities Subsector Collective Agreement

Facilities Bargaining Association (HEU, BCGEU, IUOE and others) and the Health Employers Association of BC. Covers: BC health care support staff: care aides, LPNs, clerical, food, housekeeping and trades. Term: April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2029. Ratified December 2025; the printed agreement isn’t out yet, so the figures come from the agreed Article 22 language in HEU’s report on the settlement.

Evening premium: $1.90 an hour (Art. 22.01). The entire shift, when its major portion falls between 1600 and 2400. In effect: since April 1, 2022 (carried into 2025–2029). Rises to $2.05 from the first pay period after April 1, 2028.
Night premium: $3.40 an hour (Art. 22.02). The entire shift, when its major portion falls between 2400 and 0800. In effect: since the first pay period after April 1, 2026.
Weekend premium: $2.15 an hour (Art. 22.03). Each hour from 0001 Saturday to 2400 Sunday. In effect: since April 1, 2023 (carried into 2025–2029). Rises to $2.30 from the first pay period after April 1, 2028.

On overtime: Not addressed: overtime is 1.5 then 2 times the basic hourly rate (21.01), with nothing on premiums.

Source: HEU: Facilities agreement 2025–2029, comprehensive report (agreed language)

SUN (Saskatchewan): Collective Bargaining Agreement

Saskatchewan Union of Nurses and the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations. Covers: Registered nurses and other SUN members in Saskatchewan health care. Term: April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2024. Expired; still the latest agreement posted by SUN.

Evening and night premium: $3.75 an hour (Art. 14.01(a)). All hours of a shift with most of its hours between 1500 and 0800. In effect: for the whole 2018–2024 term (no step date in the clause).
Weekend premium: $3.10 an hour (Art. 14.02). Each hour from 0001 Saturday to 2400 Sunday. In effect: for the whole 2018–2024 term (no step date in the clause).

On overtime: "The shift differential shall not apply to overtime hours worked" (14.01).

Source: SUN–SAHO Collective Bargaining Agreement 2018–2024

PSAC PA group (federal): Program and Administrative Services (PA) Group Agreement

Treasury Board of Canada and the Public Service Alliance of Canada. Covers: About 100,000 federal public servants in program and administrative jobs who work shifts. Term: Signed June 27, 2023; expired June 20, 2025. Expired; still the agreement in force while a new one is bargained.

Evening and night premium: $2.25 an hour (Art. 27.01). All hours worked between 4 pm and 8 am, including overtime hours. In effect: since June 27, 2023, the date the agreement was signed.
Weekend premium: $2.25 an hour (Art. 27.02). All hours worked on Saturday and Sunday, including overtime hours. In effect: since June 27, 2023, the date the agreement was signed.

On overtime: Both premiums are paid "for all hours worked, including overtime hours" (27.01, 27.02).

Source: Treasury Board: PA group collective agreement

Do shift premiums count toward overtime?

Only Quebec settles it in law: overtime is the usual hourly wage plus 50%, leaving out premiums set by the hour, such as night or evening premiums. In New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador the legal overtime rate is set from the minimum wage, so a premium can’t change it. The other jurisdictions define the rate overtime multiplies, but neither the law nor the official guide says whether a shift premium is part of it. In practice your collective agreement or contract decides: most of the big public agreements pay the premium on overtime hours at the flat amount, without multiplying it.

Jurisdiction	Premium in the overtime rate	What the official source says
Ontario	Not clearly published	Overtime is 1.5 times the "regular rate", for an hourly employee "the amount earned for an hour of work in the employee’s usual work week" (ESA, s. 1). Ontario’s manual counts a contractual weekend shift premium in "regular wages" (the base for public holiday and vacation pay), but neither the guide nor the manual says whether a shift premium is part of the regular rate for overtime. Ontario ESA Policy and Interpretation Manual, Part I: Definitions
Quebec	Excluded by law	Overtime is the usual hourly wage plus 50%, leaving out premiums set by the hour (Act respecting labour standards, s. 55). The CNESST says night and evening shift premiums are not taken into account when calculating overtime. CNESST: Overtime
British Columbia	Not clearly published	Overtime is 1.5 or 2 times the "regular wage", which for an hourly employee is "the hourly wage" (Employment Standards Act, ss. 1 and 40). The Branch’s Interpretation Guide doesn’t say whether a shift premium is included. BC Interpretation Guide: Definitions (regular wage)
Alberta	Not clearly published	The Employment Standards Code sets overtime at 1.5 times the "wage rate", defined as "the hourly rate of pay for wages" (s. 1). Neither the Code nor alberta.ca says whether a shift premium is part of it. Alberta Employment Standards Code, ss. 1 and 22
Manitoba	Not clearly published	Overtime is at least 150% of the "regular wage rate", for an hourly employee "the employee’s hourly rate for regular hours of work" (Employment Standards Code, ss. 1 and 17). Manitoba’s fact sheet doesn’t mention shift premiums. Manitoba Employment Standards Code
Saskatchewan	Not clearly published	Overtime is 1.5 times the "hourly wage". Saskatchewan’s guide says the hourly wage includes the base rate and "additional pay on top of the base rate", but it doesn’t name shift premiums. Saskatchewan: General overtime information
Nova Scotia	Not clearly published	Overtime is 1.5 times "the employee’s regular hourly wage" (Labour Standards Code, s. 40), a term the Code doesn’t define. Nova Scotia’s guide doesn’t say whether a shift premium is part of it. Nova Scotia Labour Standards Code
New Brunswick	Not relevant: legal overtime is set from the minimum wage	The legal overtime rate is 1.5 times the minimum wage, not your own rate (Employment Standards Act, s. 16), so a shift premium doesn’t change the legal minimum. Whether your employer’s overtime rate includes it is up to your contract. New Brunswick Employment Standards Act
Newfoundland and Labrador	Not relevant: legal overtime is set from the minimum wage	The legal overtime rate is the minimum wage times 1.5 (Labour Standards Regulations, s. 9), so a shift premium doesn’t change the legal minimum. Whether your employer’s overtime rate includes it is up to your contract. Newfoundland and Labrador: Labour Standards Regulations
Prince Edward Island	Not clearly published	Overtime is 1.5 times the "regular wage rate", "an employee’s wage rate for an hour of work … within the employee’s standard weekly hours" (Employment Standards Act, ss. 1 and 24). We found no official guidance on shift premiums. Prince Edward Island Employment Standards Act
Northwest Territories	Not clearly published	Overtime is at least 1.5 times the employee’s "regular rate" (Employment Standards Act, s. 9), which the Act doesn’t define for hourly pay. We found no official guidance on shift premiums. Northwest Territories Employment Standards Act
Yukon	Not clearly published	Yukon’s fact sheet says hours beyond the standard hours are paid at time and one-half. We found no official guidance on whether a shift premium is part of the rate. Yukon: Employment Standards general fact sheet
Nunavut	Not clearly published	Nunavut’s guide says overtime is 1.5 times the regular rate. We found no official guidance on whether a shift premium is part of it. Nunavut: Labour and employment standards
Federal (Canada Labour Code)	Not clearly published	Overtime is at least 1.5 times the "regular rate of wages" (Canada Labour Code, s. 174), which the Code doesn’t define; "wages" means every form of pay for work. No federal interpretation (IPG) addresses shift premiums. Canada Labour Code, Part III

Work out a week with a premium

The overtime calculator takes a shift premium and the hours that earn it each day, and lets you choose how the premium is paid on overtime hours. The take-home pay calculator adds a premium on a set number of hours a week to an hourly wage, then takes off tax, CPP and EI.

Sources

Agreement figures come only from the agreement text (or, for the 2025–2029 BC facilities agreement, the union’s publication of the agreed language), never from salary sites. Checked November 1, 2026.

Questions people ask

+Is there a legal minimum night shift premium in Canada?

No. No employment standards law in Canada, federal, provincial or territorial, requires a shift premium for nights, evenings or weekends. They set the minimum wage, overtime and public holiday pay; Ontario’s ESA even uses "premium pay" only for working on a public holiday. A night premium is owed only if your collective agreement, employment contract or employer policy promises one.

+How much is the night shift premium for nurses?

In the agreements here: ONA hospitals (Ontario) $2.98; BCNU / NBA (British Columbia) $5.00; UNA (Alberta) $5.00; SUN (Saskatchewan) $3.75 an hour.

+What is the night shift premium in Ontario?

No Ontario law sets one. In Ontario hospitals, ONA hospitals (Ontario) pays $2.98 a night hour and $3.14 a weekend hour; CUPE hospitals (Ontario) pays $2.98 a night hour and $3.14 a weekend hour.

+Do shift premiums count toward overtime?

+Is a shift premium taxed?

Yes. A shift premium is employment income like the rest of your pay, so income tax, CPP (or QPP in Quebec) and EI come off it on the same paycheque.