Market by market
Australia
The NES gives full-time and part-time employees 4 weeks of paid annual leave per year, accruing progressively and rolling over indefinitely, with unused leave paid out on termination. Shiftworkers defined by an award get 5 weeks. Leave loading (commonly 17.5%) applies only where an award or agreement provides it. Public holidays add 8 national days, with states typically taking the total to 10 to 13.
- Entitlement4 weeks a year (5 for award shiftworkers)
- Public holidays8 national; 10-13 typical by state
- Leave loadingAward-dependent, commonly 17.5%
- On terminationUnused leave paid out
- Casuals get no paid annual leave; the 25% loading is the trade-off.
Source: Fair Work Ombudsman (NES, Fair Work Act ss.86-87). Checked July 2026.
Canada
Ontario pairs vacation time with vacation pay as a percentage of gross wages: 2 weeks and 4% until the fifth anniversary, then 3 weeks and 6%. Quebec gets to the 3-week tier two years sooner, at 3 years' service, and Saskatchewan starts everyone at 3 weeks. Federally regulated employees add a third step, 4 weeks and 8% at 10 years, and observe 10 general holidays to Ontario's 9.
- Ontario2 weeks / 4%, then 3 weeks / 6% at 5 years
- Quebec3 weeks / 6% from 3 years
- Federal2 / 3 / 4 weeks at 1 / 5 / 10 years
- Public holidaysOntario 9; federal 10
| Length of service | Entitlement |
|---|
| Ontario, under 5 years | 2 weeks (4% of gross wages) |
| Ontario, 5 years or more | 3 weeks (6% of gross wages) |
- Vacation pay doubles as a payroll on-cost (4% to 6%), which the employer-costs page accounts for.
- Province variation is real: quote Ontario and say so, never 'Canada gets 2 weeks'.
Source: Ontario ESA guide (3-week tier since 2018; Quebec per CNESST). Checked July 2026.
New Zealand
Every employee reaches 4 weeks of paid annual holidays at each 12-month anniversary. Public holidays top out at 12: 11 national days including Matariki, plus one regional anniversary day. Pay-as-you-go at 8% of gross is allowed only for genuine fixed-term roles under 12 months or truly irregular work, and calling someone casual is not enough on its own.
- Entitlement4 weeks after 12 months
- Public holidaysUp to 12 (11 national + 1 regional)
- Pay-as-you-go8% of gross, narrow eligibility
- The Holidays Act replacement (the Employment Leave Bill) is at select committee; once passed it takes effect only 24 months after assent, so current rules hold until roughly 2028-29.
Source: Employment New Zealand (Holidays Act 2003). Checked July 2026.
Singapore
Singapore has the leanest statutory leave scale of the six markets: the Employment Act minimum starts at 7 days and adds one per year of service, capping at 14 from the eighth year. Contracts commonly provide more. All Employment Act employees are covered, managers and executives included, after 3 months' service. Public holidays add 11 paid days.
- Year one7 days
- From year eight14 days
- Public holidays11
- Qualifying service3 months
| Length of service | Entitlement |
|---|
| 1st year | 7 days |
| 2nd year | 8 days |
| 3rd year | 9 days |
| 4th year | 10 days |
| 5th year | 11 days |
| 6th year | 12 days |
| 7th year | 13 days |
| 8th year onwards | 14 days |
- Don't tie leave to the S$2,600 salary threshold; that gates hours-of-work protections, not leave.
Source: Ministry of Manpower (Employment Act s.88A). Checked July 2026.
United Kingdom
Almost all UK workers get 5.6 weeks of paid holiday, which is 28 days on a five-day week and stays 28 for six-day workers because of the cap. There is no statutory right to bank holidays off; the 8 in England and Wales can be counted inside the 5.6 weeks. Since April 2026 employers must keep holiday pay records for six years.
- Entitlement5.6 weeks (28-day cap)
- Bank holidays8 in England and Wales, countable within the 5.6 weeks
- Part-timePro rata
- Scotland has 9 bank holidays and Northern Ireland 10, so the countable days differ by nation.
Source: GOV.UK (Working Time Regulations 1998). Checked July 2026.
United States
The US mandates zero paid vacation days and zero paid public holidays for private-sector employees; the 11 federal holidays bind federal employers only. What employees actually get is set by the market: BLS data has private-industry workers with paid vacation averaging 11 days after one year, 15 after five and 18 after ten.
- Statutory paid vacationNone
- Statutory paid public holidaysNone (11 federal holidays bind federal employers)
- Typical practice (BLS)11 days after 1 year, 15 after 5, 18 after 10
| Length of service | Entitlement |
|---|
| After 1 year (typical, not law) | 11 days |
| After 5 years | 15 days |
| After 10 years | 18 days |
| After 20 years | 20 days |
- Several states treat accrued vacation as wages that must be paid out at termination, California most prominently.
Source: US Department of Labor / BLS (FLSA position; BLS March 2025 benefits data). Checked July 2026.
Plain-English definitions in the HR Glossary: leave loading, statutory holiday entitlement.
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