Am I entitled to paid annual leave?
How the answer differs across 9 jurisdictions
GermanyFull article You are legally entitled to at least 24 paid workdays of vacation per calendar year in Germany.
CanadaFull article Under federal law in Canada, most employees are entitled to at least 2 weeks of paid vacation after completing one year of employment.
AustraliaFull article Yes, your employer can direct you to take annual leave during a shutdown period, but only if the direction is reasonable and complies with the Fair Work Act 2009.
IrelandFull article You are legally entitled to paid annual leave under the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997. If your employer hasn’t given you your holiday entitlement, you can make a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission within 6 months.
SingaporeFull article If you are covered by the Employment Act, you are entitled to at least 7 days of paid annual leave after 3 months of continuous service, increasing to a maximum of 14 days after 2 years of service.
European UnionFull article The EU minimum annual leave is 4 weeks (20 working days) per year, guaranteed by the Working Time Directive.
Yes, zero-hours workers in the UK are entitled to paid annual leave if they are classified as 'workers' — not just self-employed contractors.
South KoreaFull article Most employees in South Korea are entitled to 15 days of paid annual leave per year after one year of continuous employment.
JapanFull article You can take paid leave after working continuously for 6 months and attending work for at least 80% of scheduled workdays.
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GermanyHow many vacation days am I entitled to per year?
CanadaHow much annual vacation am I entitled to under federal law?
AustraliaCan my employer force me to take annual leave during a shutdown period?
IrelandI wasn't given my holiday entitlement. What do I do?
SingaporeHow many days of annual leave am I entitled to?
European UnionMy employer won't give me more than 3 weeks annual leave. What's the EU minimum?
UKAm I entitled to paid annual leave as a zero-hours worker?
South KoreaHow many days of annual paid leave am I entitled to?
JapanHow many months after starting can I take paid leave?Not legal advice. This article is general information based on publicly available sources, written for educational purposes. Laws change and individual situations vary. Consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before acting on anything you read here. Last reviewed: June 2026.