Employment Law Minimums
Statutory paid leave, the standard and maximum working week, probation limits and employer notice — each read off the statute or labour ministry, with its source.
Click a column header to sort.
| Country ↕ | Annual leave ↕ | Standard week ↕ | Maximum week ↕ | Max probation ↕ | Employer notice ↕ | Extra pay ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | none | 40 h overtime pay above | none | — not yet verified | — not yet verified | — not yet verified |
| United Kingdom | 28 days | — not yet verified | 48 h averaged | none | 7–84 days rises with service | — not yet verified |
| Canada Federally regulated employers only | 10–20 days rises with service | 40 h hard limit | 48 h | — not yet verified | 14–56 days rises with service | — not yet verified |
| Australia | 20 days | 38 h unless reasonable | — not yet verified | — not yet verified | 7–35 days rises with service | — not yet verified |
| Germany | 20 days | — not yet verified | 48 h averaged | 6 months | 28 days rises with service | — not yet verified |
| France | 25 days | 35 h overtime pay above | 48 h | 2–4 months by role / contract | 1–2 months rises with service | — not yet verified |
| Japan | 10–20 days rises with service | 40 h hard limit | — not yet verified | — not yet verified | 30 days | — not yet verified |
| South Korea | 15–25 days rises with service | 40 h hard limit | 52 h | — not yet verified | 30 days | — not yet verified |
| Singapore | 7+ days rises with service | 44 h hard limit Part 4 of the Employment Act only | — not yet verified | — not yet verified | 1–28 days only if contract is silent | — not yet verified |
| China | 5–15 days rises with service | 40 h hard limit | — not yet verified | 1–6 months by role / contract | 30 days No-fault dismissals only | — not yet verified |
| Spain | 30 calendar days | 40 h hard limit | — not yet verified | 2–6 months by role / contract | 15 days Objective-grounds dismissals only | 2 per year amount set by agreement |
| Netherlands | 20 days | — not yet verified | 60 h | 1–2 months by role / contract | 1–4 months rises with service | — not yet verified |
| Sweden | 25 days | 40 h hard limit | 48 h averaged | 6 months | 1–6 months rises with service | — not yet verified |
| Finland | 20–25 days rises with service | 40 h hard limit | 48 h averaged | 6 months | 14 days rises with service | — not yet verified |
| Norway | 21 days | 40 h hard limit | 48 h averaged | 6 months | 1 months rises with service | — not yet verified |
| Ireland | 20 days | — not yet verified | 48 h averaged | — not yet verified | 7–56 days rises with service | — not yet verified |
| New Zealand | 20 days | — not yet verified | — not yet verified | none | — not yet verified | — not yet verified |
| Taiwan | 3–30 days rises with service | 40 h hard limit | — not yet verified | — not yet verified | 10–30 days rises with service Terminations under arts. 11 and 13 | — not yet verified |
| Brazil | 30 calendar days | 44 h hard limit | — not yet verified | 90 days | 30–90 days rises with service | 1 per year amount set by law |
| Argentina | 14–35 calendar days rises with service | — not yet verified | — not yet verified | 6 months | 1–2 months rises with service | 2 per year amount set by law |
| Colombia | 15 working days (statutory count) | 42 h hard limit | — not yet verified | 2 months | — not yet verified | 2 per year amount set by law |
| Chile | 15 days | 42 h hard limit Falls to 40 h on 2028-04-26 | — not yet verified | — not yet verified | 30 days Termination by written notice (desahucio) | — not yet verified |
| Switzerland | 20 days | — not yet verified | — not yet verified | 3 months | 1–3 months rises with service | — not yet verified |
| Mexico | 12 working days (statutory count) rises with service | 48 h hard limit Falls to 46 h on 2027-01-01, then 2 h a year to 40 (2030) | — not yet verified | 30 days | — not yet verified | 1 per year amount set by law |
| Portugal | 22 days | 40 h hard limit | — not yet verified | 90–240 days by role / contract | — not yet verified | 2 per year amount set by law |
| Italy | 20 days | 40 h overtime pay above | 48 h averaged | — not yet verified | — not yet verified | — not yet verified |
| Hong Kong | 7–14 days rises with service | — not yet verified | — not yet verified | — not yet verified | 7 days | — not yet verified |
| Estonia | 28 calendar days | 40 h overtime pay above | 48 h averaged | 4 months | 15–90 days rises with service | — not yet verified |
| Poland | 20–26 days rises with service | 40 h hard limit | 48 h averaged | 3 months | 14 days rises with service | — not yet verified |
| Denmark | 25 days | — not yet verified | — not yet verified | 3 months Salaried employees only | 1–6 months rises with service Salaried employees only | — not yet verified |
Leave in working days on a five-day week. No minimum wage: it changes every year. Statutory floors only — contracts and collective agreements often give more. Not legal advice.
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