BCEA leave entitlements — annual, sick, family responsibility
The Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) sets minimum leave entitlements for South African employees working more than 24 hours per month: 21 consecutive days annual leave, 30 sick days per 36-month cycle, 3 days family responsibility leave per year, plus parental, maternity and adoption leave.
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The Payroll Africa editorial team is composed of registered tax practitioners, payroll administrators and BCEA specialists who maintain the SARS PAYE, UIF, SDL and ETI engines that power the platform. Every article is reviewed against the current SARS BRS and Basic Conditions of Employment Act before publication.
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Last updated 30 Sept 2026
Annual leave (Section 20)
Every employee is entitled to 21 consecutive days of paid annual leave per annual leave cycle (12 months). This equates to 15 working days for a five-day worker.
- 21 consecutive days = 15 working days (5-day week) or 18 working days (6-day week)
- Accrues at 1.25 working days per month worked
- Must be granted within 6 months after the end of the leave cycle
- Payout of untaken leave on termination is compulsory
Sick leave (Section 22)
Sick leave is granted in a 36-month cycle. In the first 6 months of employment, an employee gets 1 day paid sick leave for every 26 days worked. After 6 months, the employee gets an amount equal to the days normally worked in a 6-week period — typically 30 days for a 5-day week.
Family responsibility leave (Section 27)
Three days per annual leave cycle for the birth of a child (limited use since parental leave was introduced), illness of a child, or the death of a spouse, parent, sibling, grandparent, child or grandchild.
Parental, maternity and adoption leave
Parental leave (Section 25A): 10 consecutive days for the parent who is not the birth mother. Maternity leave (Section 25): 4 consecutive months. Adoption leave (Section 25B/C): 10 weeks for one parent, 10 days for the other. UIF replaces income during these periods.
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