Leave and holidays

Employment law gives employees various entitlements to leave from work ranging from holidays to parental leave. Find out how your leave is calculated.

Your entitlement to paid sick leave from employment will depend on your contract of employment.

The law gives an employee a limited right to leave from work in time of family crisis (force majeure). Find out about compassionate leave, jury service and career breaks.

This gives a list of the nine public holidays and describes employees' entitlement to paid time off for these.

The Parental Leave Acts 1998-2019 allow parents to take parental leave from employment up until their child’s 12th birthday. From 1 September 2019 you can take 22 weeks parental leave and from 1 September 2020 you can take 26 weeks.

The Carers Leave Act 2001 allows employees to take unpaid time off work to provide full-time care for people that require this care.

All female employees are entitled to maternity leave from work immediately before and after the birth of their child.

People who adopt children may be entitled to leave from employment. This leave is called adoptive leave. Find out what this means and how to apply.

Information about statutory paternity leave, which is available since September 2016.