Leave Days Calculator

Under the BCEA, employees are entitled to 21 consecutive days of annual leave per year. This equates to 15 working days for a 5-day work week or 18 working days for a 6-day work week. Leave accrues from the first day of employment at a rate of 1 day for every 17 days worked (5-day week) or 1 day for every 13 days worked (6-day week).

Yes, annual leave can accumulate from year to year. However, your employer is entitled to require you to take leave within a specific period and can enforce a leave policy that limits excessive accumulation. Some employers have "use it or lose it" policies, but these must be clearly communicated and reasonable.

Sick leave operates on a 36-month cycle. During each cycle, an employee is entitled to 30 working days of paid sick leave (for a 5-day work week) or 36 working days (for a 6-day work week). In the first 6 months of employment, you are entitled to 1 day of sick leave for every 26 days worked.

Family responsibility leave gives employees 3 paid days per year, applicable when a child is born, when a child is sick, or when there is a death of a spouse, life partner, parent, adoptive parent, grandparent, child, adopted child, grandchild, or sibling. It applies to employers with 5 or more employees and to employees who have been employed for 4 or more months.

Your full sick leave entitlement of 30 working days (5-day week) or 36 working days (6-day week) per 36-month cycle kicks in after 6 months of continuous employment. Before that, you receive 1 day of sick leave for every 26 days worked. An employer may require a medical certificate for absences of more than 2 consecutive days.

The BCEA does not require employers to pay employees during maternity or paternity leave, though many do. If unpaid, employees can claim from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) which pays a percentage of earnings (up to a maximum). Some employers offer full or partial pay during maternity leave as part of their employment contracts or benefits packages.