21 consecutive days is the starting point
Read the detailed employer guide for practical controls, examples and common questions.
Section 20 of the BCEA provides for at least 21 consecutive days of annual leave on full remuneration in each annual leave cycle. For a regular five-day working week, three weeks normally represents 15 working days; for six days a week, it normally represents 18.
These are regular-pattern equivalents. Check the actual roster for part-time work, rotating shifts or changes in working days. An employer can provide a more generous allocation.
An accrual estimate is not the whole entitlement
By agreement, leave may be calculated at one day for every 17 days worked or for which the employee was entitled to be paid, or one hour per 17 qualifying hours. Confirm which agreed method applies.
A monthly administration convention divides an annual allocation by 12. For example, 15 working days per year gives an indicative 1.25 days per month. It is a planning method, not a separate statutory formula.
Calculate annual leavePlan timing and public holidays carefully
Leave timing should be agreed. Where agreement cannot be reached, the employer determines the timing, subject to the Act. Annual leave must be granted within six months after the end of the applicable cycle.
A public holiday during annual leave that falls on a day the employee would ordinarily have worked must not consume an annual leave day. Use the actual work pattern when counting.
Payment instead of statutory annual leave is generally not permitted while employment continues; termination is the statutory exception.
A transparent example
15 annual working days ÷ 12 × 6 completed months = 7.5 accrued days. With no opening balance and 2 days taken, the indicative balance is 5.5 days.
Before using this number for an actual request, check opening adjustments, future approved leave, the policy’s accrual timing and rounding, and any enhanced contractual entitlement.
From individual calculation to team decision
A sufficient balance is only one perspective. Check the request against applicable rules and consider team availability without losing sight of the employee’s rights.
Explore policy-aware approvals and the team leave calendar to see how those perspectives connect.