Leave Laws
Last updated on January 14, 2026.
Paid Time Off (PTO) in Fiji
Vacation Quota (Annual Leave)
10 business days
Employees in Fiji are entitled to 10 paid workdays off after completing one full year with the same employer. The employer must pay the employee exactly as if they had worked their normal hours during that time. The employee is entitled to receive their vacation pay before the time off begins. Also, with the employer’s approval, an employee can choose to take cash instead of using their vacation days.
If an employee misses more than 20 regular workdays in a year, they lose their right to paid vacation for that year — unless the time away was covered by an official doctor’s note, or caused by another reason that the employer accepts.
Taking a Vacation
When an employee qualifies for paid vacation leave, the employer must allow them to take it either all at once or, if the employee asks, split into several parts — but at least one part has to be a full, uninterrupted week.
Accrual
Leave is usually earned gradually throughout a 12-month period of employment.
Carry Over
Unused vacation days may be carried forward for up to four years, as long as the employee takes at least one full week off every year.
Payment of Unused Vacation on Termination
If an employee leaves the company before using all their vacation days, the employer must pay them for it — at a rate of at least five-sixths of a day’s pay for every earned but unused day.
Sick Leave in Fiji
Sick Leave
10 paid working days
Once an employee has stayed with the same employer for more than three months without a break, they become entitled to 10 paid workdays of leave for every year they remain employed.
Family Care Leave
5 paid working days
After working for the same employer for over three months, an employee can take at least five paid workdays each year to look after or support a close family member or someone who lives in their household. A close family member could be an employee’s child, spouse, sibling or parent.
Family care leave can’t be carried over, therefore any unused days from one year are lost when the next year begins.
To qualify for family care leave, an employee must inform their employer as soon as possible when their support is needed.
Maternity and Paternity Leave
Maternity Leave in Fiji
98 consecutive days
Women working in Fiji can take up to 98 days of paid maternity leave. They can use up to 42 of those days before the baby is born, and the remaining time after childbirth. A woman may begin her maternity leave either before or after giving birth, as long as she tells her employer the planned dates of leave and submits a doctor’s certificate. During this leave, the employee also receives a daily maternity payment of F$5, as long as she has worked for at least 150 days during the nine months before giving birth.
When maternity leave ends, the employee must be given back her old job position (or higher) or another role with the same level, pay, and status.
An employee can’t be fired while she is on maternity leave. However, if her total time away from work lasts longer than three months, the employer is allowed to terminate her employment.
Paternity Leave in Fiji
5 days
A new becoming father can take five days of paid paternity leave if his wife or partner qualifies for maternity leave — or would qualify if she were employed.
To be entitled to this leave, he:
- must have worked for the same employer for more than three months,
- must be (or will be) the primary caregiver for the baby,
- must give the employer a doctor’s note showing the expected birth date.
An employee may use these five days at any time in the three months leading up to or following the baby’s birth. As long as the total is at least five days and both the employer and the employee agree, the time off may be taken all at once or in smaller chunks.
Bereavement Leave in Fiji
3 days
An employee is entitled to 3 days of bereavement leave each year on top of their other leave after working for the same employer for more than three months. These days can’t be carried over, and any unused time is lost when the next year starts.
Jury Duty Leave in Fiji
There is no legal definition of jury duty leave.
Military Leave in Fiji
There is no legal definition of military leave.
Voting Leave in Fiji
There is no legal definition of voting leave.
Public Holidays in Fiji
11 official public holidays
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year’s Day |
| Movable: In spring - Two days before Easter Sunday (*) | Good Friday |
| Movable: In spring - A day before Easter Sunday | Easter Saturday |
| Movable: In spring - The day after Easter Sunday | Easter Monday |
| Movable: In the middle of May | Girmit Day |
| Movable: End of May - almost always on a Friday | Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna Day |
| Movable: Rabi’ al-awwal 12 (**) | Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday |
| October 10 | Fiji Day |
| Movable | Diwali - Hindu (The Festival of Lights) |
| December 25 | Christmas |
| December 26 | Boxing Day |
(*) - The dates of Good Friday, Easter Saturday, and Easter Monday vary each year according to the Christian liturgical calendar.
(**) - Date is movable every year according to the Islamic lunar calendar.
Sources of Fiji Leave Laws
-
Employment Relation Act 2007, https://www.laws.gov.fj/Acts/DisplayAct/2910#
-
Rights of Woman on Maternity Leave, https://laws.gov.fj/Acts/ViewSection/82249?query=ITC%20Act%202012
-
Fiji Government: 2026 PUBLIC HOLIDAYS, https://www.facebook.com/FijiGovernment/posts/2026-public-holidays-cabinet-endorsed-the-2026-public-holiday-datesthe-dates-are/1206499944847534/
-
BILL NO. 21 OF 2018, https://www.parliament.gov.fj/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Bill-21-Employment-Relations-Budget-Amendment.pdf
Check out our Leave Laws page to learn more about laws in various countries.
This material is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For current and accurate guidance, please consult legal counsel in your jurisdiction.
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