21 days, in working days
The BCEA sets annual leave as 21 consecutive calendar days per 12-month leave cycle, a figure that includes weekends and rest days, which…
The BCEA sets annual leave as 21 consecutive calendar days per 12-month leave cycle, a figure that includes weekends and rest days, which is why it converts to fewer working days depending on your working week.
| Working week | 21 consecutive days equals |
|---|---|
| 5-day week | 15 working days |
| 6-day week | 18 working days |
Sick leave and family responsibility leave
Sick leave (s.22) runs on its own 36-month cycle, separate from your annual leave cycle: you're entitled to paid sick leave equal to the…
Sick leave (s.22) runs on its own 36-month cycle, separate from your annual leave cycle: you're entitled to paid sick leave equal to the number of days you'd normally work in a 6-week period (30 days on a 5-day week, 36 days on a 6-day week). In your first 6 months of employment, before that cycle starts, you instead build up 1 day of paid sick leave for every 26 days worked.
Family responsibility leave (s.27) gives qualifying employees 3 days per annual leave cycle for the birth or illness of their child, or the death of specified family members, but only once they've worked for the employer for more than 4 months and work at least 4 days a week for that employer.
Sources
3 official sources
- Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997, gov.za, sections 20–22 and 27 (Chapter Three: Leave): 21 consecutive days per annual leave cycle, the 1-day-per-17-days / 1-hour-per-17-hours accrual by agreement, the 36-month sick leave cycle and first-6-months rule, and family responsibility leave conditions.
- Department of Employment and Labour, Basic Conditions of Employment Act (full text, PDF): primary source for the full Chapter Three leave provisions and section 3 application/exclusion rules.
- Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997, Chapter Three: Leave: consolidated section-by-section reference used to cross-check sections 20–27 against the gov.za and Department of Labour text.
Rand amounts are intentionally left out. Also left out: sectoral determinations and bargaining council agreements that can set different, sector-specific leave terms, since those vary by industry and aren't part of the BCEA's general leave chapter.
FAQ
How much annual leave am I entitled to under the BCEA?
Section 20 gives every employee 21 consecutive days of annual leave on full pay per 12-month annual leave cycle. In working days, that's 15 days on a 5-day week or 18 days on a 6-day week.
What is the 1-day-per-17-days accrual method?
By agreement, instead of the 21-consecutive-days block, leave can accrue progressively at 1 day for every 17 days worked, or 1 hour for every 17 hours worked. This calculator uses that formula to estimate how much leave you've built up so far in your current cycle.
What is an annual leave cycle?
It's a 12-month period of employment with the same employer, either the standard cycle running from when you started (or from the end of your last cycle), or, by agreement, a period during which you were employed before completing 12 months.
How much sick leave am I entitled to?
Under section 22, during every 36-month sick leave cycle you're entitled to paid sick leave equal to the number of days you'd normally work in a 6-week period, 30 days on a 5-day week, 36 days on a 6-day week. In your first 6 months, before that cycle applies, you instead accrue 1 day of paid sick leave for every 26 days worked.
What is family responsibility leave and do I qualify?
Section 27 gives employees 3 days of paid family responsibility leave per annual leave cycle, for the birth or illness of their child, or the death of a spouse, life partner, parent, adoptive parent, grandparent, child, adopted child, grandchild or sibling, but only once they've worked for the employer for longer than 4 months and work at least 4 days a week for that employer.
Does the BCEA apply to every employee?
No. Section 3 excludes employees who work less than 24 hours a month for a particular employer from most of the Act's provisions, including the leave chapter.
Can I be paid out for unused annual leave instead of taking it?
Only when employment ends, an employer must then pay out accrued, untaken annual leave. While employment continues, the BCEA is built around employees actually taking leave for rest, not accumulating a cash balance indefinitely.
Does annual leave include public holidays or Sundays worked?
No. Annual leave under section 20 is separate from public holidays and from payment for Sundays or overtime worked, those are governed by other sections of the BCEA and aren't part of this calculator.