Annual paid leave

Annual paid leave is a statutory rest entitlement that must be granted each year, with pay, to employees who have completed the minimum service period. Its length increases with seniority, and minimum durations are additionally prescribed for young workers.

As an extension of the constitutional right to rest, the entitlement cannot be waived. Leave must in principle be used in kind; it cannot be replaced by extra pay while employment continues. Wages for unused leave become payable only when the contract ends, calculated on the final wage.

The burden of proof lies on the employer, who must show through signed leave records or equivalent documentation that leave was actually granted. Failure to grant leave over many years is a typical source of substantial leave-pay claims upon termination.