Managing employee leave and vacation entitlements is a critical aspect of workforce management in Jersey. Employers must adhere to local regulations concerning minimum holiday allowances, public holidays, sick pay, and various forms of parental and other statutory leave. Understanding these requirements is essential for compliance and maintaining positive employee relations, ensuring that employees receive their legally mandated time off.
Jersey's employment law sets out clear minimum standards for employee leave. While employers are free to offer more generous terms, they cannot provide less than the statutory minimums. These entitlements cover a range of circumstances, from annual holidays to unforeseen illness and significant life events like the birth or adoption of a child.
Annual Vacation Leave
In Jersey, employees are entitled to a statutory minimum amount of paid annual leave. This entitlement is based on the number of days worked per week.
- Employees working 5 days a week are entitled to a minimum of 4 weeks of paid annual leave plus the equivalent of 8 public holidays. This totals 28 days of paid leave per year.
- For employees working fewer than 5 days a week, the entitlement is calculated proportionally. The minimum is 4 weeks of leave plus a pro-rata equivalent of 8 public holidays.
Leave accrues throughout the year. Employers must ensure that employees are able to take their full entitlement within the relevant leave year. Payment for annual leave should be at the employee's normal rate of pay.
Public Holidays
Employees in Jersey are typically entitled to paid time off for public holidays. The standard public holidays observed in Jersey are:
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year's Day |
| March 21 | Good Friday |
| March 24 | Easter Monday |
| May 5 | Early May Bank Holiday |
| May 26 | Spring Bank Holiday |
| August 25 | Summer Bank Holiday |
| December 25 | Christmas Day |
| December 26 | Boxing Day |
If a public holiday falls on a weekend, a substitute day is often observed, usually the next working day. Employees who are required to work on a public holiday may be entitled to enhanced pay or time off in lieu, depending on their contract and the employer's policy, but they are always entitled to the equivalent of 8 public holidays off per year in addition to their 4 weeks of annual leave.
Sick Leave
Employees in Jersey are entitled to statutory sick pay (SSP) provided they meet eligibility criteria, including having sufficient length of service.
- Employees are entitled to SSP for up to 26 weeks in any 52-week period.
- SSP is payable after a qualifying period of three consecutive days of sickness (waiting days).
- The rate of SSP is set by the government and is subject to change annually.
- Employees are generally required to notify their employer of their sickness and provide a doctor's note (medical certificate) for absences exceeding a certain duration, typically seven consecutive days.
Employers may offer contractual sick pay schemes that are more generous than the statutory minimum.
Parental Leave
Jersey law provides entitlements for employees taking leave in connection with the birth or adoption of a child.
Maternity Leave
Eligible employees are entitled to up to 52 weeks of maternity leave.
- The first 2 weeks are compulsory leave immediately following the birth.
- The remaining leave can be taken flexibly.
- Statutory Maternity Benefit may be payable for a portion of the leave period, provided eligibility criteria are met. The duration and rate of benefit are set by the government.
Paternity Leave
Eligible employees are entitled to up to 2 weeks of paternity leave.
- This leave must be taken within 8 weeks of the birth or adoption.
- Statutory Paternity Benefit may be payable for this period, subject to eligibility criteria.
Adoption Leave
Eligible employees adopting a child are entitled to leave comparable to maternity and paternity leave.
- One parent (the primary adopter) is entitled to up to 52 weeks of adoption leave, similar to maternity leave.
- The other parent is entitled to up to 2 weeks of leave, similar to paternity leave.
- Statutory Adoption Benefit may be payable, subject to eligibility criteria.
Other Leave Types
Beyond the main categories, Jersey law also provides for other types of leave in specific circumstances.
- Bereavement Leave: Employees are entitled to a reasonable amount of unpaid time off following the death of a dependant. Some employers may offer paid bereavement leave.
- Time off for Dependants: Employees have the right to take a reasonable amount of unpaid time off to deal with unexpected problems involving a dependant, such as illness or injury.
- Study Leave: There is no statutory entitlement to paid or unpaid study leave, although some employers may offer this as a contractual benefit.
- Sabbatical Leave: Sabbatical leave is not a statutory entitlement and is entirely at the discretion of the employer.
