Additional leave compliance rules and complexities

Annual leave

Across El Salvador, the holiday year runs from December 12 to December 12 in the following year. Employees get 15 days of paid annual leave after 1 year of service. Employees cannot carry over their leave, and employers cannot pay for any unused days. So workers are obliged to take all of their leave within the space of the 12 month period.

Sick leave

Sick leave and sick pay depend on an employee’s length of service, ranging from 75% of the basic salary for 20 days for new employees, to 75% of the basic salary for 60 days for employees who have been in their position for over a year. Women can take up to 16 weeks of paid maternity leave – 6 weeks before the birth, and 10 weeks after.

Maternity and paternity leave

Maternity pay is covered by social security. Though there are no laws for shared parental leave, fathers can take 3 days of paternity leave at 100% of their regular pay, so long as they use the leave within 15 days of the child’s birth.