Holidays

• 1st January – New Year’s Day

• 7th January – Orthodox Christmas

• 1st May – Labour Day

• 2nd May – Orthodox Easter Day

• 3rd May – Orthodox Easter Monday

• 13th May – Eid Al Fitr

• 24th May – St. Cyril and Methodius

• 2nd August – Republic Day

• 8th September – Independence Day

• 11th October – Revolution Day

• 23rd October – Day of the Macedonian Revolution

• 8th December – St. Clement of Ohrid

PTO

• Vacation/Annual Paid Leave

An employee who establishes employment for the first time will be entitled to use the full annual leave after an uninterrupted period of service of at least six months with the same employer, notwithstanding whether the employee is working full-time or part-time.

The employee is entitled to a paid annual leave of at least 20 working days. The annual leave may be extended to 26 working days with collective agreement or employment contract.

An older employee, a disabled employee, employee with an impairment rating of at least 60%, and an employee providing care for a child with physical or mental disability is entitled to three additional days of annual leave.

The annual leave may be used in several parts, in agreement with the employer, where one part of the annual leave have to be in duration of at least two uninterrupted work weeks.

Holidays, Saturdays and Sundays, days off work, sick leaves, as well as other cases of justifiable absence from work, are not included in the days of annual leave.

• Use-it-or-lose-it policy 

The employer is obligated to assure the employee to use the 12 days of the annual leave by the end of the current calendar year, and the remainder until 30th June the following year.

The employee is entitled to use the annual leave that has not been used in the current calendar year due to absence of the employee due to an illness or injury, maternity leave or childcare leave by 30th June the following calendar year.

• PTO payout at the termination

The employee is entitled to a compensation for the unused part of the annual leave prior to the termination of employment, if he or she has requested to use the annual leave and such request was denied, and his employment has not been terminated at his initiative or due to his fault.

Maternity Leave, Paternity Leave, Parental Leave

Maternity Leave

The female employee is entitled to paid leave during pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting in the duration of nine uninterrupted months, or 15 months in the case of twins or multiple births.

Based on an opinion issued by the competent healthcare authority, the female employee may commence the pregnancy, childbirth, and maternity leave 45 days prior to delivery, and mandatorily 28 days prior to delivery.

If, due to health problems, the child is held for healthcare or treatment in a health institution, and if in the meantime the mother or the father return to work, the maternity and parenting leave shall be terminated, and the parents shall be entitled to the remaining unused part of the leave.

Adoption Leave

A female employee who adopts a child is entitled to a leave until the child reaches nine months, and if she adopts more than one child (two or more children) a leave of 15 months.

A female employee who adopts a child is entitled to a paid leave for the duration of the period of adaptation of the child, in accordance with the regulations on the family.

Paternity Leave

Male employees are entitled to up to 7 days paid leave for the birth of their child.

If the parental leave is not used by the female employee, the right to parental leave shall be used by the father or the adoptive parent of the child.

Leave due to a Stillbirth

In the case of a stillbirth or if the child dies prior to the expiry of the pregnancy, childbirth and maternity leave, the female employee is entitled to extend the leave for the time required, in accordance with the physicians’ opinion, to recover from the childbirth and the emotional state caused by the loss of the child, which shall not be less than 45 days, and during such extension she shall be entitled to rights pertaining to the pregnancy, childbirth and maternity leave.

Unpaid Maternity Leave

After the expiry of the pregnancy, childbirth and maternity leave, the female employee shall be entitled to unpaid maternity leave with duration of up to three months within the period until the child reaches three years of age, in three parts at the most, for the purpose of providing care for the child.

Sick Leave, Paid Sick Leave, and Family Care Leave

Sick Leave

The employee is entitled to a leave from work with salary compensation in the cases of temporary incapacity for work due to illness or injury and in other cases in accordance with the health insurance regulations in North Macedonia.

Jury Duty Leave and Voting Leave (Leave due to Public Interest)

The employee is entitled to a leave from work with salary compensation for the purposes of pursuing a function not in professional capacity, to which the employee has been elected at direct national elections, functions, i.e., duties to which the employee has been appointed by the court.

Bereavement Leave

Employees are entitled to up to 7 days of paid leave due to the death of a family member.

Military Leave

Employees are entitled to a paid leave in the case when the employee has been drafted as a military conscript, pursue activities concerning the national defense and protection and rescue duties, with the exception of serving a term in the army.

Please consult your local legal counsel to learn more about North Macedonia Leave Laws.

To learn more about laws in various countries, check out our Leave Laws page.