The Employee's Entitlement to Annual Holidays

The employee’s entitlement to annual holidays is determined by the Annual Holidays Act. In addition, some collective bargaining agreements set out provisions in respect of annual holidays. They usually relate to longer annual holidays than those provided by legislation or the calculation of holiday pay in certain business sectors.

The employment contract does not usually provide detailed information on annual holidays. It is sufficient to state that the annual holiday will be determined in accordance with the Annual Holidays Act. An agreement to reduce the employee’s statutory annual holiday entitlement is void.

The employer and employee may in the employment contract agree on more beneficial conditions for annual holidays than those provided for in the Annual Holidays Act. Such conditions should be qualified to become invalid in case the working hours are shortened or the annual holiday is generally extended.

Where the employment relationship commences in the middle of the holiday determination year, the parties may agree that the employee will receive a longer holiday than he/she is entitled to under the Annual Holidays Act. Unless agreed otherwise by the parties, the additional holiday and thereto related holiday pay is determined in accordance with provisions of the Annual Holidays Act. See further [Annual Holiday]⁠.