Leave rules · 2026
Annual leave and sick leave rules in the Philippines (2026)
Employees in the Philippines get at least 5 days of paid annual leave a year on a 5-day week (1 week). Sick leave: not covered here.
Rules as of September 2026 · page built Monday, September 28, 2026Statutory minimums
Medium confidenceMedium confidence. Verify before relying on it. Check the official sources below.
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5 days a year (40 hours)
Statutory minimum 5 days on a 5-day week at 0 years of service.
This is the legal floor for the Philippines; the contract can give more.
| Service | Minimum (5-day week) | In weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Starting entitlement | 5 days | 1 week |
5 days of Service Incentive Leave after 1 year of service (Labor Code art. 95). Some employers, including small retail and service businesses, are exempt.
Worked exampleA full-time employee on a 5-day week gets at least 5 days a year.
What the rules mean in practice
In the Philippines, a full-time employee on a 5-day week is entitled to at least 5 days of paid annual leave a year, which is 1 week.
In the Philippines, a full-time employee on a 5-day week is entitled to at least 5 days of paid annual leave a year, which is 1 week. The legal wording: 5 days of Service Incentive Leave after 1 year of service (Labor Code art. 95). Some employers, including small retail and service businesses, are exempt.
Compared with the other 37 jurisdictions LeaveCalc covers, that starting minimum is higher than 0, the same as 0 and lower than 37. Across all of them the range runs from 5 days (the Philippines) to 30 days (the United Arab Emirates). 5 days is about 1.9% of a 260-day working year.
No service-based step is recorded here, so the 5-day minimum applies at every length of service; the official source has the full rule.
Regular and special non-working days are proclaimed each year. For 2026, the public holiday calendar for the Philippines lists 20 holidays, 18 of them on working days.
Sick leave: No statutory employer sick leave; SSS sickness benefit applies. LeaveCalc rates this entry Medium confidence, based on the official sources listed below as of September 2026.
Public holidays
Regular and special non-working days are proclaimed each year. See the 2026 and 2027 public holiday dates for the Philippines, with .ics downloads.
Sources
As of September 2026. Statutory minimums only: contracts, collective agreements and local rules can give more.
Questions about leave in the Philippines
The statutory minimum is 5 days a year for a full-time employee on a 5-day week (1 week).
How many days of annual leave do employees get in the Philippines?
The statutory minimum is 5 days a year for a full-time employee on a 5-day week (1 week). 5 days of Service Incentive Leave after 1 year of service (Labor Code art. 95). Some employers, including small retail and service businesses, are exempt.
Does annual leave increase with length of service in the Philippines?
No service-based step is recorded here for the Philippines: the statutory minimum stays at 5 days a year. Check the official source for the full rule.
Is sick leave paid in the Philippines?
Whether sick leave is paid is not covered here, see the source. No statutory employer sick leave; SSS sickness benefit applies.
Are public holidays part of annual leave in the Philippines?
Regular and special non-working days are proclaimed each year. In 2026 the calendar for the Philippines has 20 public holidays, 18 of them on working days.