Two weeks leave, three after ten years

The Holidays with Pay Act sets out the minimum paid leave every employee in Jamaica is entitled to, covering both clerical and manual staff.

Annual leave

• Minimum two weeks of paid vacation per year
• Three weeks for those with more than ten years of service with the same employer

These are minimums. A contract or collective agreement can give more, never less.

Sick leave

The Act provides for paid sick leave, and for certain occupations it also covers gratuities and sick benefits for casual workers.

Public holidays

Jamaica observes eleven public holidays. Where one falls on a weekend, the government may move the observance to the following Monday.

Maternity leave

Pregnant employees are entitled to twelve weeks of maternity leave after one year of service.

Holiday pay is taxable

Worth knowing before you plan around it: holiday pay is treated as taxable income in Jamaica.

Leave you did not take

Accrued leave that you have not taken is normally paid out when employment ends. Keep your own record of days taken — if the employer's record and yours disagree, yours is what you have to work with.

Probation

There is no statutory probationary period in Jamaica. Collective agreements commonly set three to six months, but that comes from the agreement, not from legislation.

That means a probation clause in your contract is a contractual term, and its effect depends on what the contract actually says.