Have your say on annual leave and rest breaks

Islanders and businesses are reminded that they have until Monday 17 February to submit their views to the Employment Forum’s consultation on statutory annual leave and rest breaks. 

The consultation was launched in December after the Minister for Social Security, Deputy Judy Martin, directed the Forum to consult Islanders on the current statutory annual leave entitlement under the Employment (Jersey) Law 2003. The Minister also instructed the Forum to consult on a proposal to introduce an entitlement to a rest break during the working day. 

Currently, Jersey’s employment law states that any employee is entitled to at least two weeks’ leave during each leave year. Employees are also entitled to leave on Christmas Day, Good Friday, and all public or bank holidays (or substitution leave). For an employee working a five-day week, this gives 19 days of annual leave. 

The law currently makes no provision for rest breaks during the day, although it does make provision for rest days between working days. 

All responses to the consultation will be used to help the Forum decide whether to recommend a change in the law. This recommendation will then be considered by the Minister for Social Security.   

Islanders can submit their views to the Forum by:

The Minister said: “I am keen to ensure that the Forum receives as many responses as possible from employers, employees and all other stakeholders so that they can consider the full range of views. The Forum will submit a recommendation to me based on the evidence it is presented with during the consultation. It is important that any decisions made reflect the reality of working and doing business in Jersey.

“The results of the survey will help to form decisions that could impact thousands of working Islanders and all businesses in the future.”