Leave entitlements in Mauritius: annual, sick, maternity, paternity and other leave

Leave at a glance

How much annual leave does a worker get?

Section 45 of the Workers' Rights Act 2019 gives a worker 20 working days of annual leave once they have been with the same employer for 12 consecutive months, plus 2 more days of leave every year. That makes 22 days in each following 12-month period.

New staff build up leave in their first year too. Once a worker has been present on all working days for 6 months, they earn one day of annual leave a month until the twelfth month.

• Leave still due at the end of the 12-month period is paid at a normal day's wage for each day. If the worker did not ask for the leave, or you did not grant it, they can choose in writing to accumulate it instead.
• When a worker leaves, you pay them a normal day's wage for each accumulated day of annual leave they did not take.
• Any agreement in which a worker gives up annual leave is null and void.

How much sick leave, and when is a certificate needed?

After 12 consecutive months with you, a worker gets 15 working days of sick leave on full pay each year. In the first year, one day builds up each month from the sixth month to the twelfth.

Sick leave a worker doesn't take is not lost. Section 46 says any outstanding sick leave is accumulated.

1. The worker tells you on the first day they are absent.
2. If they are ill for more than 3 working days in a row, they give you a medical certificate on the fourth day of absence. If they are admitted to hospital, the certificate is due within 3 days of their discharge.
3. A certificate can cover at most 3 days before the day it was issued.

You may have an absent worker examined by a doctor at your own expense. You also provide free transport to the examination.

How long are maternity and paternity leave?

Maternity leave is 16 weeks on full pay, on a medical certificate. If part of it is taken before the birth, at least 8 weeks must be taken straight after. A mother gets 2 extra weeks with pay for twins or more, or for a premature baby. A worker with 12 months' service who adopts a child under 12 months old gets 16 weeks on full pay. A mother who has a miscarriage certified by a doctor gets 3 weeks plus 5 days on full pay.

Paternity leave is 4 consecutive weeks with pay for a father with 12 months' service, when his wife gives birth or when they adopt a child under 12 months old. It starts within 2 weeks of the birth, of the mother's discharge from hospital, or of the adoption. A father with less than 12 months' service gets the same leave without pay.

From 1 January 2027, maternity leave becomes 26 weeks on full pay. The mother can then choose to take a further 26 weeks on half pay. This also applies to a woman who adopts a child under 12 months old. Paternity leave goes up to 6 weeks on the same date.

What other leave does the law give?

• Menstrual leave: since 13 August 2026, a worker can take one paid day a month for severe menstruation-related symptoms. You may ask for a medical examination, at your own cost.
• Special leave: after 12 months' service, a worker gets 6 working days on full pay for their own first civil or religious marriage, and 3 working days on full pay for the first marriage of their son or daughter. They also get 3 working days on full pay on the death of their spouse, child, father, mother, brother or sister.
• Vacation leave: a non-migrant worker with at least 5 consecutive years' service can take up to 30 days for every 5-year period, in blocks of at least 6 consecutive days. They give you at least 3 months' notice, and you approve it unless you have reasonable business grounds. If you can't grant it and you can't agree on another period, you pay a normal day's wage for each day applied for. Since 24 October 2024 vacation leave applies to workers earning Rs 600,000 a year or less.

How does leave work for part-timers?

Part-time workers with 12 months' service get annual leave and sick leave too. The number of days is reduced in proportion to the days they work each week compared with a full-time worker.

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