Annual Leave in Shift Work — How Many Days You're Entitled To

Planning leave can be a headache when you don't work a standard Monday-to-Friday schedule. Here are the clear rules for 2026.

Legal basis (minimum 20 days)

Under labour law, the minimum annual leave entitlement is 20 working days per year (some jurisdictions grant more). This baseline applies equally to office employees and to those working night shifts or weekends.

How leave days are counted in shift work

The golden rule in labour law: leave is calculated in working days (Monday–Friday), not in the number of scheduled shifts.

Example: If you take a week off (Monday–Sunday), you use 5 days of annual leave, even if you only had 3 shifts scheduled that week. Your rota is "frozen" for the duration of the leave.

What happens to untaken leave

Untaken leave days can generally be carried over and taken within 18 months of the end of the leave year. Paying out untaken leave in cash is strictly prohibited by law, except when employment ends.

Sick leave (SL) in shift work

Sick leave is separate from annual leave. It is recorded on the basis of a medical certificate and the hours are treated as "justified absence" — deducted from the monthly norm without counting as hours worked. They do not consume annual leave entitlement.