Law ensuring 4-week annual holiday on cards

The government on Thursday proposed an amendments to the Annual Holidays Act to safeguard employees’ right to four weeks of paid annual leave as mandated by the European Union legislation, even if they have been absent from work due to sickness or medical rehabilitation.

The proposal submitted to parliament also includes time extension for taking an annual holiday that has been postponed due to incapacity for work.

The Annual Holidays Act would ensure employees’ right to additional leave days to supplement their annual holiday. Employees would be able to take additional leave, if they have earned less than 24 annual leave days because of absence from work due to sickness or medical rehabilitation. Employees taking additional leave would be entitled to a remuneration corresponding to their regular or average wage.

The provision of additional leave would not apply to the employees who have earned at least 24 annual leave days during the leave-earning year.

Employees whose annual holiday has been postponed due to incapacity for work would still have the right to take summer holiday during the holiday period and winter holiday before the start of the next holiday period.

In the future, employees could use their postponed annual holiday during the holiday period in the calendar year following the original holiday period, though no later than by the end of that year.

The aim of the proposed legal amendments is to ensure compliance with EU case law. The act is due to come into force on 1 April 2019.