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Annual Leave for Domestic Workers: Days, Pay and Pro-Rata Maths
Every domestic worker earns paid annual leave — full-time, part-time and once-a-week workers alike. Sectoral Determination 7 sets the minimum at three weeks per year, with a handy per-day accrual alternative for part-timers. Here is exactly how much leave to give, what it costs, and how to handle the December shutdown.
Last reviewed June 2026 · wage figures from 1 March 2026
The basic entitlement: three weeks a year
A domestic worker must get at least three weeks' paid annual leave for every 12 months of employment — the BCEA expresses the same entitlement as 21 consecutive days on full pay. 'Consecutive' means the block includes rest days, so for a five-day-a-week worker it works out to 15 paid working days; for a six-day worker, 18 working days.
The leave must be granted no later than six months after the 12-month leave cycle ends, and it may not run at the same time as sick leave or a notice period. If a public holiday falls inside the leave on a day she would normally have worked, add an extra paid leave day — public holidays never count as annual leave.
The 1-per-17 alternative for part-timers
Instead of the three-week block, you and your worker may agree on accrual: one day of paid leave for every 17 days worked (or one hour for every 17 hours worked). This is the practical method for part-time and casual arrangements because it scales automatically.
Worked examples: a worker who comes twice a week works about 104 days a year — 104 ÷ 17 ≈ 6 paid leave days per year. Once a week (about 52 days a year) earns roughly 3 paid leave days. A full-time five-day worker (about 260 days) earns just over 15 days — matching the three-week entitlement, which is the point: the two methods are designed to be equivalent.
| Working pattern | Approx. days worked per year | Paid annual leave earned |
|---|---|---|
| 5 days a week | 260 | 15 working days (= 3 weeks) |
| 3 days a week | 156 | ±9 days |
| 2 days a week | 104 | ±6 days |
| 1 day a week | 52 | ±3 days |
Leave pay: what it costs and when to pay it
Annual leave is paid at the worker's normal wage for the days she would have worked — pay it before the leave starts or, by agreement, on her usual payday. There is no separate 'leave bonus' requirement; a 13th cheque is purely by agreement.
Cost example at the legal minimum: from 1 March 2026 the national minimum wage is R30.23 per hour, so an eight-hour day costs at least R241.84. Fifteen working days of leave for a full-time worker on the minimum wage therefore costs at least R3,627.60 — the same as a normal three weeks of wages, just paid for days at home. If you pay above the minimum, leave is paid at her actual rate.
Can annual leave be paid out in cash instead?
No — not while she works for you. The BCEA expressly prohibits paying an employee instead of granting annual leave. The leave exists so the worker actually rests, and 'buying it back' is unlawful even if she asks for it.
The one exception is termination: when employment ends for any reason, you must pay out all accrued, untaken annual leave at her normal daily rate. The DoL's guidance for the domestic sector confirms pro-rata leave must be paid on termination. Keep a running leave balance so this number is never a guess — the leave form on our domestic worker leave hub makes that easy.
Leave over the December holidays
Timing of annual leave is agreed between you; if you cannot agree, the employer may decide, provided the leave is granted within the legal window. Many households simply align the worker's leave with their own December travel — that is lawful, but it must be paid leave, not an unpaid 'we're away, don't come' arrangement.
If you go away for longer than her leave entitlement, the extra days are your problem, not hers: she remains employed and entitled to her wage unless she agrees to extra unpaid leave. Plan December early, agree dates in writing, and remember the December public holidays (such as Christmas Day and the Day of Goodwill) are paid days that do not consume her leave balance.
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Frequently asked questions
How many days' annual leave does a full-time domestic worker get?
Three weeks per 12 months — 21 consecutive days, which is 15 paid working days for a five-day-a-week worker (18 for a six-day worker).
How do I work out leave for a worker who comes two days a week?
Use the agreed alternative of 1 day's paid leave per 17 days worked. Two days a week is about 104 working days a year, which earns roughly 6 paid leave days.
Can my worker ask to be paid out her leave instead of taking it?
No. Cash instead of leave is prohibited during employment, even at the worker's request. Accrued leave is only paid out in money when the employment ends.
Must I pay her while we are on holiday in December?
Yes, if she has leave balance, those days are paid annual leave; if your absence is longer than her leave, the extra days remain payable unless she genuinely agrees to unpaid leave. Closing the house does not suspend her wage.
What if she is sick during her annual leave?
Annual leave may not run concurrently with sick leave. Days she is genuinely ill (with a medical certificate where required) are treated as sick leave, and the annual leave days are preserved — see our sick leave guide.
When must the leave be taken by?
No later than six months after the end of the 12-month cycle in which it was earned. Don't let balances roll up — it creates a large payout liability and defeats the purpose of leave.