Module 4 · Maternity Protection Act, Chap. 45:57; contract and sector Wage Orders
Leave Entitlements
Maternity leave (14 weeks) plus annual and sick leave set by contract or sector Wage Order.
Under the Maternity Protection Act, an employee with 12 months' continuous service is entitled to 14 weeks' maternity leave: one month at full pay and the balance at half pay. NIS maternity benefit may also be payable.
There is no single cross-sector statutory minimum for annual or sick leave. These are set by the employment contract, a registered collective agreement, or the applicable sector Minimum Wages Order.
Statutory leave under the 1991 Minimum Wages Orders (kept in force under the Minimum Wages Act, Chap. 88:04)
| Order | Vacation leave | Sick leave |
|---|---|---|
| Catering Industry Order (LN 158/1991) | Two weeks' paid vacation after 12 months' service, if at least 220 days were worked in that year | 14 working days a year after six months' continuous employment, paid as a top-up to NIS sickness benefit |
| Shop Assistants Order (LN 159/1991) | Two weeks' paid vacation after 12 months' service, if at least 220 days were worked in that year | 14 working days a year after six months' continuous employment, paid as a top-up to NIS sickness benefit |
| Household Assistants Order (LN 160/1991) | Two weeks with pay after 12 months' service, with at least 220 days worked. The Order gives this expressly to full-time household assistants (44 hours a week over six days). | 14 working days a year after six months' continuous employment, paid as a top-up to NIS sickness benefit |
Sick leave under these Orders requires a medical certificate for any illness longer than two days. The Security Industry Employees Order (LN 10 of 1995) and the national Minimum Wages Order set no vacation or sick leave.
For everyone else, vacation comes from the contract, a registered collective agreement, or the employer's established practice. Two to five weeks after one year is common. Public servants are covered by the Civil Service Regulations and the rules for their service.
Related legislation
- Minimum Wages Orders
- National Insurance Act (maternity benefit)
Last reviewed: October 2026
General guidance only, not legal advice.