Employee annual leave in Slovakia: entitlement, calculation, carryover and pay

Annual paid leave — dovolenka — is governed by §§100–117 of the Labour Code. It covers employees under employment contracts, including foreign nationals and part-time staff. Work under a dohoda does not automatically create annual leave entitlement under these rules; paid days off may be a separate contractual benefit. For a self-employed SZČO, time off depends on the client contract.

The rules below describe the statutory minimum. Employment or collective agreements may offer more days. Annual leave, compensatory time off for overtime, sickness absence and unpaid leave are separate categories and should be recorded separately.

Four, five or eight weeks

The basic minimum is 4 weeks. At least 5 weeks apply to employees who turn 33 by the end of the relevant calendar year and employees who permanently care for a child. On a standard five-day week, this means 20 or 25 working days. The two qualifying grounds do not add up: a parent over 33 does not automatically receive 6 weeks.

The status of an employee permanently caring for a child begins on the date of written notification to the employer (§40). It means personal care for one’s own minor child, including alternating custody, or a minor placed in substitute parental care by a court. The end of care must also be notified in writing without delay. If care starts or ends during the year, the additional week is proportional to the calendar days of care in that year. This is not restricted to mothers: a father can qualify too. Section103 provides a minimum of 8 weeks for specified teaching, research and other categories; ordinary office staff do not automatically qualify.

New starters: 60 days and the 21-day rule

Once at least 60 worked days are credited with the same employer in the relevant year, annual leave or its proportional part applies. Each complete calendar month of continuous employment gives 1/12 of annual entitlement. Not every calendar day counts as worked: shifts and periods legally treated as work must be considered.

Example: an employee over 33 starts on 1 June and stays until 31 December. Assuming the 60-day condition and a five-day week, the calculation is 25 × 7 / 12 = 14.58 days before applicable payroll rounding. Starting on 21 September gives complete months in October, November and December: 25 × 3 / 12 = 6.25 days, provided 60 days are reached. An incomplete September is not automatically a complete twelfth.

If 60 days are not reached, a different type applies: 1/12 for each 21 worked days. With 42 credited days and a 20-day annual allowance, this is 20 × 2 / 12 = 3.33 days. Both methods must not be applied simultaneously to the same period. The employer may approve leave in advance if the conditions are expected to be met; any overuse must be settled on departure.

Part-time hours, shifts and days off

Working 4 hours each Monday to Friday does not halve the number of leave weeks: 5 weeks means 25 short working days. Working only 3 days each week makes 5 weeks equivalent to 15 working days. For uneven schedules, §104 requires the average number of working days falling within leave over the whole year.

Leave is charged on days when the employee is scheduled to work. Saturdays and Sundays may be working days for shift staff; they usually do not consume leave for office staff. If a holiday during leave falls on an otherwise normal working day, it is excluded from annual leave (§112). Check the legally applicable holiday calendar for the date, rather than only an app’s red marking.

Pay: compensation is based on average earnings, not necessarily a fixed daily fraction of salary. Average hourly earnings of €12 and a 7.75-hour shift give 12 × 7.75 = €93 gross for one leave day. A different shift duration changes the payment. Payroll calculates average or probable earnings under §134.

Exception in 2026: 8 May and 15 September are ordinary working days. Taking annual leave on those dates consumes leave entitlement, although work actually performed on them still qualifies for holiday pay. The Labour Inspectorate has specifically explained this distinction.

Who approves leave and how to plan it

The employer sets dates after consulting the employee, considering operational needs and the employee’s legitimate interests. Submitting a request is not permission to be absent. Obtain confirmation of the dates before buying non-refundable tickets. If leave is split, at least one part must last 2 weeks unless the parties agree otherwise. This is a minimum for one continuous period, not a maximum trip length.

The employer generally announces scheduled leave at least 14 days ahead; an exceptional reduction requires employee consent. Collective shutdown leave, subject to statutory conditions, is generally limited to 2 weeks, or 3 weeks for serious operational reasons announced at least 6 months ahead. Artistic organisations have specific exceptions.

If the employer changes already approved leave or recalls the employee, it must reimburse costs incurred without the employee’s fault, such as documented early-return or cancellation costs. Keep the original approval, the new instruction and receipts.

Sickness, reduction and carryover

The employer may not schedule annual leave during certified PN sickness absence, maternity, paternity or parental leave. If PN starts during annual leave, annual leave is interrupted: notify the employer and follow the required sickness procedure.

Long ordinary sickness absence or parental leave can affect annual entitlement. When the 60-day condition is met, §109 permits a reduction of 1/12 for the first 100 missed working days and another 1/12 for every subsequent 21 days. This does not mean a reduction for each month of illness. Exceptions apply to maternity and paternity leave and sickness caused by an occupational accident or disease for which the employer is liable. Unauthorised absences have separate rules.

If leave could not be used because of obstacles or because the employer did not schedule it, it is provided by the end of the following year. If by 30 June of the following year the employer has not scheduled the balance for use by year-end, the employee may set dates by giving at least 30 days’ written notice; a shorter notice requires employer consent. Continuing sickness or protected family leave allows the balance to be taken after the obstacle ends, even after the following year has ended.

Can leave be exchanged for money?

The first 4 weeks cannot simply be cashed out during continuing employment. An exception applies when termination makes taking them impossible. The portion above 4 weeks is compensated under §116 if it could not be taken even by the end of the following year. Additional leave for specified strenuous or harmful work has separate rules: it is taken as a priority and cannot be replaced with cash.

Before departure, request a reconciliation of annual allowance, proportional entitlement, days already taken, carried balance and average earnings. If you disagree, request a written calculation; you can then contact the labour inspectorate and pursue a monetary claim in court. Keep messaging-app approvals alongside HR confirmation: documents make it possible to establish dates and avoid disputes.