Payroll and Benefits Guide Jersey

Annual Leave (vacation)

The entitlement to annual leave is usually determined by the employment contract between the employer and the employee. Under the law full time workers must receive a minimum of 3 weeks of paid annual leave per year, plus paid time off on public and bank holidays, though it is common to provide 25 days of vacation plus public holidays. Part-time employees receive a pro-rated amount based on their working days.

PTO Carryover

In Jersey, statutory annual leave cannot be forfeited. Leave should normally be taken in the leave year, but carryover is allowed in limited situations (e.g., sickness or where the employer didn’t allow leave). Unused statutory leave must be paid out on termination, and a blanket “use-it-or-lose-it” policy is not lawful.

Public Holidays

In Jersey, if a public holiday falls on a weekend, it is typically observed on the following Monday. An exception is Liberation Day (9th May), which, if it falls on a Saturday, remains a public holiday, and employees working that day are entitled to an alternative day off in lieu. Employers can either give the day off with pay or provide a paid day off later.

Sick Leave

In Jersey, there is no statutory requirement for employers to provide paid sick leave. This means that any sick pay entitlement is typically outlined in the employee’s contract of employment. If an employer does offer sick pay, the terms should clearly state how much sick pay is provided and for how long.

However, employees who are unable to work due to illness or injury may be eligible for sickness benefit through the Social Security systems Short Term Incapacity Allowance (STIA) for a minimum of two days and up to a maximum of 364 days. Under STIA, workers might be eligible to claim sick leave pay at a weekly rate of £283.01 (£40.43 daily rate), based on the employee’s Social Security contributions. To claim, workers must submit a medical certificate from their doctor.

Maternity Leave

Pregnant employees are entitled to paid time off for ante-natal appointments. Parental leave can start no earlier than 11 weeks before the expected date of childbirth and lasts up to 26 weeks, with the first 6 weeks paid by Social Security.

Employees must notify their employer in writing before the end of the 15th week before the expected date of birth (or as soon as practicable) about the pregnancy, expected week of childbirth, and intended start date of parental leave.

Paternity Leave

Fathers can take leave under the Parental Leave entitlement.

Parental Leave

All parents can take up to 26 weeks of parental leave, but only 2 weeks are paid. This leave can be taken in up to three blocks within a year of the child’s birth. The cost of the leave, is covered by the Social Security system through the Parental Allowance.