Last updated on April 12, 2024.

Paid Time Off (PTO) in Zimbabwe

Vacation (Annual Leave) Quota

30 calendar days => around 22 working days (*)

Employees in Zimbabwe are allowed one full month of paid vacation leave (30 calendar days or 22 working days) per year.

To qualify for this paid leave, the employee must first accumulate the necessary annual leave days. An employee begins to accumulate leave days after completing one full year of service with the current employer.

(*) NOTA BENE: In Zimbabwe, unlike in many countries’s leave laws, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays that happen during an employee’s annual leave are counted as part of the annual leave days.

Additional benefits

A contract of employment might specify, or an employer might permit, the following:

• an employee to take paid annual leave even during their first year of service at the company.

• an employee to take leave even if they have not accrued any leave days; however, this type of leave will be unpaid.

Carry Over

Employees can accumulate up to a maximum of 90 days of leave before opting to take their leave, based on their personal choice. Other specifics about carry-over are not provided.

Sick Leave in Zimbabwe

180 days (90 days with full pay + 90 days with half-pay).

An employee in Zimbabwe is entitled to up to 180 days of paid sick leave per year.

This means that, over the course of a year, an employee may:

• take up to 90 days of fully paid sick leave;
• if an employee takes all their paid sick leave days within one year (the initial 90 days), they can ask for extended medical leave - up to another 90 days of half-paid sick leave.

To have legitimate sick leave, an employee must provide a doctor’s note from a registered medical practitioner.

Maternity and Paternity Leave

Maternity Leave in Zimbabwe

98 days of paid leave.

Employees in Zimbabwe are entitled to fully paid maternity leave of 98 days. Employees can take up to 45 days of leave before their due date.

Eligibility

Employees must have worked for at least one full year to be eligible for paid maternity leave. An employee is required to present a medical certificate of pregnancy. Maternity leave can be taken up to 3 times at the same company. Also, it may be taken only once every 24 months, counted from the end of the last maternity leave taken.

An Additional Unpaid Leave

An employee may also request additional unpaid maternity leave beyond the standard paid leave period.

Paternity Leave in Zimbabwe

12 days of unpaid leave.

There is no provision for paid paternity leave. However, a new father can take up to 12 days of unpaid leave following the birth of his child.

Parental Leave in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe leave laws do not provide for parental leave.

Bereavement Leave in Zimbabwe

Up to 12 days.

Employees in Zimbabwe are entitled to up to 12 days of paid bereavement leave in the event of the death of a parent, spouse, child, or any legal child or stepchild.

Jury Duty Leave in Zimbabwe

Up to 12 days.

An employee In Zimbabwe is entitled to up to 12 days of paid leave to attend court as a witness.

Military Leave in Zimbabwe

Military leave is not specified by law.

Voting Leave in Zimbabwe

Voting leave is not specified by law.

Public Holidays in Zimbabwe for 2024

Employees will get a day off for every public holiday and will receive their regular salary for that day if they would normally have worked.

However, if an employee agrees to work on a public holiday, they will be paid at least double their regular rate for that day, regardless of whether they were scheduled to work.

As already mentioned, weekends and public holidays are considered part of annual leave days.

A complete list of official holidays celebrated in Zimbabwe:

When public holidays fall on a weekend in Zimbabwe, they are observed on the next weekday.

Sources

1. Local Laws & Regulations, https://www.atlashxm.com/en/countries/zimbabwe

2. Payroll and Benefits Guide Zimbabwe, https://www.papayaglobal.com/countrypedia/country/zimbabwe/

3. Definitive Guide to Hiring in Zimbabwe, https://www.globalexpansion.com/countrypedia/zimbabwe

Check out our Leave Laws page to learn more about laws in various countries.