Annual Leave and Holidays

This page was last updated on: 2023-05-21

Paid Vacation / Annual Leave

The Employment Act provides annual leave for all workers on completion of at least six months of service. A worker, working weekly for sixteen or more hours, is entitled to 21 working days paid annual leave at the rate of 7 days for each period of continuous 4 months of service on completion of 12 months of continuous service. The time to take annual leave has to be agreed between the parties.

 

A worker is entitled to paid holidays proportionate to the length of service for which he/she has not received such a holiday or compensation for any of the unused annual leave in the event of employment termination.

 

Source: §54 of the Employment Act 2006

Pay on Public Holidays

Workers are entitled to paid Festival (public and religious) holidays. Festival holidays are announced by Ugandan Government at the start of calendar year (usually 13 in number).

The public holidays are regulated under the Public Holidays Act, 1965. These are New Year’s Day (January 01), NRM Day (January 26), Women’s Day (March 08), Good Friday (April 18), Easter Monday (April 21), Labor Day (May 01), Memorial Day (May 26), Martyrs’ Day (June 03), National Heroes Day (June 09), Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan), Eid al-Adhuha (Feast of Sacrifice), Christmas Day (December 25) and Boxing Day (December 26).

In addition to these holidays, the President may declare any other day to be a public holiday, and may limit the observation of any such public holiday to any area or place in Uganda.

Source: §54 of the Employment Act 2006, §1-3 of the Public Holidays Act 1965

Weekly Rest Days

Workers are entitled to  24 consecutive hours of rest per week. The weekly rest may be taken on customary rest day (Sunday) or as agreed between the two parties.

Workers holding managerial positions and those working in family establishments employing not more than five dependent relatives may be excluded from weekly rest day by regulations issued by the Minister.

Rest Break of 30 minutes is granted to the employees working for at least 8 hours per day.

Source: §51 & 53(6) of the Employment Act 2006

Regulations on Annual Leave and Holidays

  • The Employment Act, 2006

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