Leave in Czech Republic

Holiday Leave in Czech Republic

Full-time employees are entitled to four weeks (20 days) of paid leave annually after four weeks of employment. The leave is accrued progressively in equal parts of 1/52 for each week worked. Leave should be availed in the year it is accrued, but employers and employees can agree to carry the unused leave over, but it must be used by the end of the subsequent year. Employees can be paid for unused leave only upon end of employment.

At least one part of the leave must be taken as a two-week block unless agreed differently by the employer and the employee. Unexcused absences can be deducted from the employee’s holiday entitlement. It is common for employers to give employees five weeks (25 days) off instead of the statutory minimum.

Bank holiday

There are 13 public holidays in the Czech Republic. If an employer requires an employee to work on a holiday, they are should double the wage for the day or a different day off (should be within three months).

Holidays are observed on the day on which they fall and are not moved to the closest weekday.

Czech Republic Public Holiday Calendar 2024

Types of Leave in Czech Republic

Sick leave

Employees who fall ill are entitled to up to 380 calendar days of sick leave. The first 14 calendar days of illness are paid by the employer; from the 15th day onwards, the Social Security benefit provides the coverage.

Sick pay is 60% of the employee’s average pay for the first 30 days of incapacity (inclusive of the days the employer is responsible for), 66% from the 31st to the 60th day of incapacity, and 72% from the 61st day onwards. Illness is considered to be the time when the employee is temporarily incapable to work or in quarantine.

Employers have the right to check by themselves and/or hire a third party to check whether the employee complies with the illness regime imposed by the doctor, such as resting at home or recovering in the hospital.

Maternity leave

Mothers are entitled to 22 weeks of maternity leave (31 weeks for multiple births) and may choose to share their maternity leave with their partner (as long as both are employed) from the 7th week after the child’s birth. Employees benefit from additional job protection from the beginning of the pregnancy until one year after the maternity leave ends.

Paternity leave

Male employees are entitled to two weeks of paid paternal leave, paid by Social Security at a rate of 70% of the employee’s gross salary. The paternity leave must start within six weeks of the child’s birth and must be used all at once. In the case of foster care, the child must be under the age of seven for paternity leave to apply, and the leave must start at the beginning of the fostering period. Employees must have made contributions to the Social Security for 270 days in the past two years to be eligible to paternity leave. Employees cannot be terminated during the leave.

Mothers can transfer the remainder of their maternity leave to the father after the child reaches seven weeks of age, and the father will receive parental pay during the time.

Adoption leave

Adoptive parents are entitled to the same maternity (22 weeks for a single birth, 31 weeks for multiple births) and paternity leaves and pay as biological parents.

Parental leave

Once the maternity and paternity leaves are exhausted, parents are entitled to take parental leave. The leave must take place before the child turns three years old (four years old if the employer agrees). Parents are given a joint parental allowance of CZK 300,000 for the entire period of the leave (CZK 450,000 in case of multiple children from the same pregnancy) regardless of how long they take the leave for. Adoptive parents and guardians are entitled to the same benefit. Upon employees’ return, companies must give them the same position that they had before going on leave.

Parents are free to decide how they would like to receive the parental allowance — as (1) a lump sum or (2) monthly instalments over a certain number of months. The beneficiary of parental benefit can alter the amount once every three months. The monthly benefit cannot exceed CZK 42,720 if parents have a higher assessment base based on their earnings.

Parents who have not contributed to the Social Security are eligible for a monthly amount of parental allowance up to CZK 10,000.

Carer's leave

Employees are entitled to time off, known as attendance allowance, when unable to work due to their taking care of a sick family member in the same household or a healthy child under the age of 10 because their school is closed. The leave is paid by the Social Security at a rate of 60% of the employee’s gross salary for the first 16 days for single-parent employees who are caring for a child up to the age of 16, and for 9 days in all other cases.
Employees are not eligible for attendance allowance if their partner is receiving maternity benefits or the parental allowance for the child concerned. An exception is granted if the other parent is sick and cannot care for the child.

In case of long-term attendance to a family member in the same household, employees are entitled to long-term attendance allowance and require a written consent from the person who is cared for. Long-term attendance allowance happens when a family member spends at least 7 days in the hospital and requires daycare for at least 30 days more. The benefit pay equals 60% of their gross salary and lasts for up to 90 calendar days. Claims can be renewed after one year.

To qualify for the leave, the employee must have made contributions to the Social Security for at least 90 days in the four months preceding the need for the leave.

Childcare leave

Employees caring for a child under the age of 15 or another dependent are entitled to a request for short working days or a different reasonable adjustment to their working hours from their employers, and employers must comply with the request unless there is a serious operational reason that prevents them from doing so.

Further, employers must get prior consent from pregnant employees, female employees, and male employees taking care of children of up to the age of eight may before asking them to go on a business trip outside the municipality (locality) of their workplace or home address. They can be transferred to another location (municipality) only if they requested that.

This similarly applies to a single female employee or a single male employee taking care of a child until they reach the age of 15, and further to an employee who proves that they, mostly on their own, take long-term care of a person considered dependent on another individual’s assistance.

Civil duty leave

Employees are entitled to unpaid leave to fulfil their civic duty.

Service leave

Employees who choose to take part in the military service training are entitled to service leave. The leave is paid by the military authorities.

Personal leave

Employees are entitled to paid time off during certain important life events, as listed below:

• medical examinations
  • The employee shall be provided with a paid leave for the necessary period if the examination or treatment is carried out in a medical establishment that is in a contractual relationship with the health insurance company chosen by the employee and that is closest to the employee’s place of residence or workplace. Otherwise, the employee shall be provided with only a leave.
• death of an immediate family member
  • Leave with compensation of wages shall be granted for a) two days in the event of death of a spouse, a partner, or a child, and one more day to attend their funeral; b) one day to attend the funeral of the employee’s parent and sibling, their spouse’s parent and/or sibling, as well as their child’s spouse or the employee’s sibling, and one more day if the employee arranges the funeral of these persons; c) not more than one day for other family members, for the necessary period.
• wedding
  • The leave is provided for two days for one’s own wedding, of which one day for participation in the wedding ceremony; however, compensation of renumeration is due for only one day. Leave with compensation of wages shall be granted to the parent for one day to participate in the child’s wedding, and to the same extent leave shall be granted without compensation to the child at the parent’s wedding.
• the birth of a child
  • Leave is granted for the necessary period a) with compensation of wages for the transfer of the wife (companion) to the medical facility and back, b) without compensation of wages or salary to participate in the birth.
• performance of work at a public office
  • The employee will be granted leave for a maximum of 20 working days (shifts) in a calendar year
• other duties of public interest (if they cannot take place outside working hours)

The following situations are also seen as time off from work:

• interruption of traffic or delay of public transport (The employee will be granted leave without compensation of renumeration.)
• co-employee’s funeral (Leave with compensation for wages will be provided for the necessary period to employees who attend the co-employee’s funeral; these employees are appointed by (1) the employer or (2) the employer in agreement with the trade union.
• relocation (Leave without compensation will be provided for the necessary period — maximum two days — in case of relocation of an employee who has their own housing facility; in case of relocation in the interests of the employer, leave with compensation of wages shall be granted.)
• finding a new job (Leave without compensation before the termination of employment shall be granted for the necessary period, not exceeding one half day per week, for a period corresponding to a period of notice of two months. Leave may be combined with the consent of the employer.)
• accompanying (Leave to accompany a family member to a medical facility for examination or treatment in the event of a sudden illness or injury and to a pre-arranged examination will be provided for the necessary period.)