WORLD Policy Analysis Center

Are workers required to have worked for their employers for a year to receive paid sick leave benefits?

Tenure or contribution requirements impact whether workers who have recently changed jobs (voluntarily, due to unemployment, or after finishing school), have access to paid sick leave benefits.

Tenure refers to length of continuous employment with the same employer

Contribution refers to payments (typically a defined percentage of earnings deducted from worker paychecks) made to the national social insurance system

Yes, 12 months tenure required means that workers must have 12 months of continuous employment with the same employer to be eligible for paid sick leave benefits

At least 12 months of contributions required means that workers must make at least 12 months of contributions to national social security systems to be eligible for paid sick leave benefits. This indicator captures countries which require 12 consecutive months of contributions, as well as countries which require 12 months of contributions over a longer, non-consecutive period (e.g. 12 months of contributions over the past 18 months)

Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months means that workers must be continuously employed or make contributions to social security systems for a minimum amount of time to be eligible for paid sick leave benefits– but this minimum length is less than 12 months

No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave means that countries extend workers access to at least some paid sick leave benefits without explicitly requiring a minimum period of employment or number of contributions to a social security fund

Countries

Republic of Korea - No national paid sick leave

Marshall Islands - No national paid sick leave

Micronesia, Federated States of - No national paid sick leave

Nauru - No national paid sick leave

Palau - No national paid sick leave

Somalia - No national paid sick leave

Sri Lanka - No national paid sick leave

Tonga - No national paid sick leave

United States of America - No national paid sick leave

Liberia - Yes, 12 months tenure required

Malawi - Yes, 12 months tenure required

Samoa - Yes, 12 months tenure required

Sierra Leone - Yes, 12 months tenure required

Tuvalu - Yes, 12 months tenure required

Bahrain - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Belgium - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Belize - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Bhutan - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Brunei - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Estonia - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Fiji - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Haiti - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Israel - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Jamaica - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Kenya - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Kiribati - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Lebanon - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Lesotho - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Mauritius - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Myanmar - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Papua New Guinea - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Qatar - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Singapore - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Solomon Islands - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

St. Lucia - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Sudan - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Suriname - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Eswatini - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Sweden - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Switzerland - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Tanzania - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Uganda - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

United Arab Emirates - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

United Kingdom - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Vanuatu - Tenure or contribution requirements, but less than 12 months

Afghanistan - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Albania - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Algeria - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Andorra - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Angola - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Antigua and Barbuda - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Argentina - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Armenia - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Australia - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Austria - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Azerbaijan - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Bahamas - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Bangladesh - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Barbados - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Belarus - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Benin - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Bolivia - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Bosnia and Herzegovina - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Botswana - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Brazil - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Bulgaria - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Burkina Faso - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Burundi - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Cameroon - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Cabo Verde - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Central African Republic - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Chad - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Chile - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

China - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Colombia - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Comoros - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Democratic Republic of the Congo - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Republic of the Congo - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Costa Rica - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Cote d'Ivoire - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Croatia - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Cuba - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Cyprus - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Czech Republic - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Denmark - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Djibouti - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Dominican Republic - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Ecuador - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Egypt - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

El Salvador - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Equatorial Guinea - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Eritrea - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Ethiopia - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Finland - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

France - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Gabon - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

The Gambia - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Georgia - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Germany - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Greece - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Grenada - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Guatemala - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Guinea - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Guinea-Bissau - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Guyana - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Honduras - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Hungary - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Iceland - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Indonesia - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Iran - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Iraq - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Ireland - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Italy - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Japan - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Jordan - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Kazakhstan - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Kuwait - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Kyrgyzstan - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Laos - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Latvia - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Libya - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Liechtenstein - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Lithuania - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Luxembourg - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

North Macedonia - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Madagascar - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Malaysia - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Maldives - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Mali - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Malta - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Mauritania - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Mexico - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Moldova - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Monaco - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Mongolia - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Montenegro - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Morocco - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Namibia - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Nepal - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

The Netherlands - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

New Zealand - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Nicaragua - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Niger - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Nigeria - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Norway - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Oman - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Pakistan - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Panama - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Paraguay - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Peru - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

The Philippines - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Poland - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Portugal - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Romania - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Russian Federation - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Rwanda - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

San Marino - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Saudi Arabia - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Senegal - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Serbia - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Seychelles - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Slovakia - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Slovenia - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

South Africa - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

South Sudan - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Spain - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

St. Kitts and Nevis - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

St. Vincent and the Grenadines - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Syria - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Tajikistan - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Thailand - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Timor-Leste - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Togo - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Trinidad and Tobago - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Tunisia - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Türkiye - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Turkmenistan - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Ukraine - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Uruguay - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Uzbekistan - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Venezuela - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Vietnam - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Yemen - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Zambia - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave

Zimbabwe - No explicit tenure or contribution requirements to access at least some leave