Nova Scotia payroll software: holiday planning and setup

Holiday pay and closing rules are different checks

Nova Scotia’s Labour Standards Code provides six paid holidays for eligible employees. Remembrance Day is addressed under separate legislation. The province’s holiday pay guide explains the distinction and the eligibility rules.

For payroll preparation, use the applicable rule rather than assuming that every day a business closes is a paid holiday under the Code. An employment contract may also provide benefits beyond the statutory minimum. Keep the reason for any additional paid day visible in the employee’s records.

Prepare before a changing schedule reaches payroll

A Halifax café may change shifts as demand rises or falls. Record the original schedule, actual hours and approved changes so the preparer has the facts needed for a holiday review. A calendar entry alone does not tell you whether the employee worked or which eligibility information applies.

Set the manager’s deadline earlier than the final payroll approval. That gives the preparer time to ask about a missed shift, corrected entry or recent hire without guessing from the previous run.

Example: two days off with different reasons

Consider a small Dartmouth agency that closes for a statutory holiday and also grants an additional paid day under its own policy. The payroll reviewer should be able to distinguish the statutory treatment from the additional employer benefit. Calling both entries simply “holiday” can hide which policy explains the second day.

Keep the supporting policy and the earnings treatment together, then verify the statement before approval. This fictional example is a records-management approach; it does not establish that a particular day must be paid or that one formula applies to both entries.

Connect the pay run to the payment calendar

Once the figures are reviewed, confirm who will arrange employee payments and who will reconcile the CRA remittance. When a holiday changes your normal administrative availability, plan the review and payment steps early enough for the chosen process.

Use specific statuses such as prepared, submitted and confirmed. That lets a second person pick up an unfinished task without confusing an approved payroll report with a completed transfer. See the CRA remittance checklist for the handoff.

What PayHr costs in Nova Scotia

PayHr Manual has a $0 service fee and includes unlimited employees, contractors and manual payroll runs. Your business arranges and verifies manual payments and remittances. Approving a run records payroll; approval alone does not move money.

Optional automated employee, contractor and tax payments cost $6 per person per automated run, with a $25 one-time automated-payment setup fee. Optional automatic ROE filing is $5 per document, and T4 or T4A filing is $15 per document. Prices are in CAD; applicable taxes, wages and remittances are separate. Use the PayHr pricing calculator to budget your actual schedule.

PayHr supports payroll in every Canadian province except Quebec. Province coverage does not establish suitability for every industry, exemption or employment arrangement. Review your specific workflow before approving the first run.

Before your first run

1. Confirm employee information, applicable payroll treatment and supporting employment records.
2. Reconcile opening earnings, deductions and vacation balances with their source reports.
3. Review hours, changed rates and provincial exceptions before approval.
4. Assign separate owners for employee payments, remittances and confirmation checks.

Consult the CRA payroll guidance alongside the provincial sources linked above. Source review: October 1, 2026. These guides address ordinary provincial payroll preparation; federally regulated employment and specialised arrangements need their own review.

Frequently asked questions

Should Remembrance Day be treated like every other Nova Scotia holiday?

No. Review the separate Remembrance Day rules and the employee’s contract rather than automatically applying the Labour Standards Code holiday treatment. The provincial holiday guide links the relevant guidance.

Is PayHr Manual free in Nova Scotia?

Yes. Manual payroll has no PayHr service fee. Optional automation and document filing have the charges described above; your business remains responsible for completing and checking its chosen workflow.

Put your next payday in order

Explore PayHr’s payroll software and free manual payroll plan, or follow the workspace setup guide.

Payroll guides for other provinces