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Canada

Canada are co-hosting the 2026 Men’s World Cup.

Canada have qualified for the Men’s World Cup finals twice: 1986 and 2022.

Alphonso Davies scored Canada’s first Men’s World Cup finals goal in 2022, against Croatia.

Canada have never progressed beyond the group stage at the Men’s World Cup finals.

Contributing firm

Miller Thomson LLP

Contacts

Claudia Desjardins Bélisle, Sophie Ouahbi Garcia

Workplace Q&A

1 What actions may an employer take if:

a) an employee is absent from work without authorisation because they were watching the World Cup?

Pay could be withheld corresponding to the missing hours. The employer can provide a written warning to the employee, advising that any further unauthorized absences may lead to further discipline, up to and including summary termination from employment. If such absences are repeated, the employee could be subject to progressive disciplinary action.

b) an employee submits a suspicious medical certificate or other rationale to justify a work absence where the employer suspects the employee is watching or attending the World Cup?

Quebec: An employer cannot request a medical certificate for the first three absences of three consecutive days or less in a 12-month period. Otherwise, the employer can request additional information on the medical reasons raised by the employee. If fraud is demonstrated, the employee could be subject to progressive discipline, up to and including termination. Please note that the first two days of leave owing to sickness are paid in Quebec.

British Columbia: An employer cannot request a medical certificate for the first two absences in a year or when the leave is five or less days. An employer can, however, ask for “reasonably sufficient proof” of illness such as an attestation from the employee or receipts for medications. After the first two absences or five days of leave, the employer can request a medical certificate. If fraud is demonstrated, the employee may be subject to progressive discipline, up to and including summary termination. Please note that employees in BC are entitled to five paid and three unpaid days of job-protected sick leave per year. Unionized employees may have further entitlements.

Ontario: The employer cannot request a medical certificate for any of the first three days of absence due to sickness in a calendar year (regardless of whether the three days are consecutive).

Alberta: The employer can request a medical certificate to confirm the employee’s absence was for medical reasons, regardless of the duration. The information requested must be reasonable and limited, such as the date the employee was seen, the expected length of absence, and any restrictions on their ability to work.

Saskatchewan: The employer cannot request a medical certificate unless the employee has been absent for more than five consecutive workdays or has had non-consecutive absences of two or more working days due to sickness or injury in the preceding twelve months.

Manitoba: The employer can request reasonable verification that the employee is indeed absent due to his sickness.

Northwest Territories: The employer can request a medical certificate if the absence lasts for more than three consecutive days.

Yukon: The employer can request a medical certificate to confirm the employee’s absence was for medical reasons, regardless of the duration.

Nova Scotia: The employer cannot request a medical certificate unless the absence continues for more than five consecutive working days or the employee has had two nonconsecutive absences of five or fewer working days due to sickness or injury in the preceding twelve months.

Newfoundland and Labrador: The employees are not required to provide a medical certificate in the event of a short-term absence owing to sickness.

New Brunswick: The employer cannot request a medical certificate unless the employee has been absent for four or more consecutive days.

Prince Edward Island: The employer can request a medical certificate when an employee takes three consecutive days of sick leave.

c) the employer suspects an employee(s) of consuming alcohol at the workplace or within a proximate time before starting work; can an employer administer breathalysers in the workplace?

Only if the employer has reasonable grounds to believe that the employee is under the influence of alcohol while performing their duties, or if the employee has been involved in a workplace accident or incident. The employer cannot unilaterally impose a random testing policy during the World Cup period.

d) the employer wishes to rearrange the work hours for all employees to accommodate the viewing of particular matches, e.g. their country’s team?

This is possible, but the employer should be careful not to create situations of discrimination or unequal treatment when doing so.

Otherwise, an employee may have the basis for a human rights complaint on the grounds of race, colour, ancestry and/or origin, depending on the province.

The employer should also confirm whether a specific schedule is an express term of employees’ contracts. If so, the employer should seek affected employees’ consent before unilaterally changing their hours of work.

e) the employer suspects that employees are using company IT systems during work hours to watch matches (including the use of illegal streaming services) and/or to participate in gambling related to the World Cup (including illegal gambling)?

The employer should conduct a thorough investigation into the suspected behaviour. If the events are considered proven, the employee could be subject to progressive disciplinary action, up to and including summary termination of employment, particularly if such conduct violates the employer’s policies.

f) an employee potentially misconducts themselves outside of working time either at a staff-organised World Cup event or an unorganised event?

In the case of a staff-organised event, the employer should conduct a thorough investigation into the suspected behaviour. If the events are considered proven, the employee could be subject to progressive disciplinary action, up to and including summary termination of employment. If the unorganised event is related to work, even if not organised by the employer, the same would apply.

2 If a country declares a national holiday on the day the country’s team plays (or later for a celebration), are employees who work on those days entitled to overtime pay or time off in lieu etc?

Quebec: The employer will pay the employee their salary for the day and an indemnity of 1/20 of the wages earned by the employee during the four complete pay weeks preceding the holiday week. Alternatively, the employer may grant leave on another date, paid at the amount of the holiday indemnity. This leave must be taken within the three weeks before or after the statutory holiday.

British Columbia: The employee will be entitled to their regular wages plus time and a half up to twelve hours and double time thereafter.

Ontario: The employer cannot require an employee to work on a public holiday without their agreement. If an employee agrees to work on a public holiday, they must be provided with either a) regular wages for the hours worked on the public holiday and a substitute day off with public holiday pay (1/20 of wages earned in the four work weeks preceding the holiday week), or b) premium pay (1.5 x regular wages) for the hours worked on the public holiday plus public holiday pay (but no substitute day off).

Alberta: If the employee works on the holiday, they are entitled to 1.5 x their regular wages (regardless of whether it falls on a regular workday).

Saskatchewan: If the employee works on the holiday, they are entitled to 1.5 x their regular wages (regardless of whether it falls on a regular workday).

Manitoba: If the employee works on the holiday, they are entitled to 1.5 x their regular rate of pay for the hours worked on the day in addition to their regular pay for the hours worked.

Northwest Territories: If the employee works on the holiday, they are entitled to their holiday pay (calculated on the basis of their regular or daily wages) plus 1.5 x their regular wages for the hours worked or a substitute holiday at some other time, that is no later than the next annual vacation of the employee or the termination of their employment, whichever occurs first.

Yukon: If the employee works on the holiday, they may be paid at the applicable overtime rate for all hours worked or they may be paid at their regular rate for hours worked and be given a day off. This may be added to their annual vacation or they may be granted a day off at a time convenient to them and their employer.

Nunavut: The employee will be entitled to their regular wages plus 1.5 x their regular wages for the hours worked or regular wages for the hours worked and another day off with pay.

Nova Scotia: The employee will be entitled to an amount equal to the amount they would otherwise have received for that holiday and at a rate at least equal to 1.5 x their regular rate of wages for the hours worked on that day or a holiday and pay on the working day immediately following the annual vacation of the employee or another day agreed upon with the employer.

Newfoundland and Labrador: The employee will be entitled to 2 x their regular wages or one paid day off to be taken within thirty days following the public holiday or an additional paid vacation day.

Prince Edward Island: The employee will be entitled to a regular day’s pay plus 1.5 x their regular rate of wages for the hours worked or their regular rate of wages for the hours worked plus a paid day off to be taken before the employee’s next paid vacation.

New Brunswick: The employee will be entitled to their regular day’s pay plus 1.5 x their regular wages for the hours worked.

3 Is it lawful for a company’s employees to conduct office pools at the workplace? Would there be any restrictions on the amount of money to enter or the amount of compensation awarded?

It is not unlawful provided participation is voluntary and does not affect employees’ rights, including their entitlement to wages.

4 May employers prohibit public displays of rival country team colours in the workplace?

Yes.

Yes. However, in doing so, the employer should be mindful not to create a situation of discrimination based on race, colour, ancestry and/or origin.

5 Could an employer be subject to a discrimination claim if accommodations are given in respect of watching games played by one gender but not the other, or for watching certain nations’ games (e.g. home nation) but not others?

Yes, an employee may file a human rights complaint alleging discrimination on the grounds of sex, gender identity, race, colour, ancestry and/or origin.

6 Any other advice you would give to employers in your jurisdiction ahead of the World Cup?

British Columbia: Employers in the Lower Mainland of BC should consider, where possible, allowing employees to work from home during the World Cup or encourage (but not mandate) employees to take vacation time, particularly on game days when traffic congestion is expected and employees’ timely attendance at work may thereby be impacted.