Paid holiday and sick pay basics: United States, Ontario, England, Ireland and New Zealand

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here.

The rules below apply to employees in general. None of the pages is written for tree work, and each place has other rules for particular kinds of worker. Workers' compensation for injuries is covered in the guides on US workers' compensation rates and workers' compensation in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Australia is not on this page.

At a glance

Place	Paid holiday	Sick pay
United States, federal	Not required by the Fair Labor Standards Act	Not required by federal law
Ontario, Canada	2 weeks of vacation time under 5 years of employment, 3 weeks from 5 years; nine public holidays	Not covered on the pages read
England	5.6 weeks, 28 days for a 5-day week	Statutory Sick Pay up to £123.25 a week, for up to 28 weeks
Ireland	Not covered on the pages read	5 days a year at 70% of normal pay, up to EUR 110 a day
New Zealand	4 weeks after 12 months of continuous employment	10 days a year

United States

The US Department of Labor benefits and leave page says the Fair Labor Standards Act does not require vacation, holiday, severance or sick pay. It describes the Family and Medical Leave Act as giving up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. State and local law are outside this page.

Ontario

The Ontario government's guide to the Employment Standards Act says vacation has two parts, time and pay. It sets two weeks of vacation time per 12-month entitlement year for employees under five years of employment, and three weeks from five years. It sets a vacation pay floor of four per cent of gross wages for the first group and six per cent for the second. The guide says a contract or collective agreement may give a greater right.

The public holidays chapter lists nine: New Year's Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. It says public holiday pay goes to most qualifying employees, and that work on a public holiday can be required of some employees.

England

GOV.UK says 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year is the legal minimum for almost all workers, and that an employer can count bank holidays within it. For a 5-day week that is at least 28 days. Part-time workers on regular hours get the same 5.6 weeks, which comes to fewer than 28 days, and its example is 16.8 days for someone working 3 days a week. The statutory entitlement is capped at 28 days.

For sickness, GOV.UK says a person can get up to £123.25 a week of Statutory Sick Pay when too ill to work, paid by the employer for up to 28 weeks. The eligibility page lists three conditions: the person is classed as an employee, has done some work for the employer, and has been ill for at least one full working day. The page says the statutory amount is a floor and a company scheme can pay more.

Ireland

Citizens Information says that since January 1, 2024 an employee has a right to 5 days of sick pay a year, paid by the employer at 70% of normal pay up to a maximum of EUR 110 a day. It says the employee must have worked at least 13 weeks with the employer, and that an employer can have a more generous scheme but not a lesser one. It names the Sick Leave Act 2022 as the source of the rules.

New Zealand

Employment New Zealand says 4 weeks of annual holidays is the entitlement once an employee has 12 months of continuous employment, and that an employer must keep accurate records of what is owed and taken. It also says a workplace with an annual closedown can require employees to use some annual holidays then. Its sick leave page gives eligible employees 10 days of paid sick leave a year.