How annual leave works (and how it’s tracked)
Understand your employee’s paid time off, and how AskMandla keeps it fair and legal.
🏖️ What is annual leave?
Annual leave is paid time off that your domestic worker earns each year. South African labour law (the BCEA) gives all employees the right to a certain number of paid leave days, depending on how much they work.
📅 How much annual leave is allowed?
The legal minimum is:
1 day of paid leave for every 17 days worked
— OR —
15 working days per year if your employee works a 5-day week
That means:
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A 5-day/week worker gets 15 days per year
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A 3-day/week worker gets 9 days per year
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A 1-day/week worker gets 3 days per year
📌 Weekends and public holidays are not counted unless they’re part of the normal working schedule.
🧮 How AskMandla calculates leave
We simplify the maths. By default, we assume:
15 annual leave days per year = 1.25 days per month
Each month, your employee automatically earns 1.25 leave days. These days build up in their profile and show up on their payslip.
📲 How leave is tracked on WhatsApp
As the employer, you’ll be prompted, or you can tell us when your employee takes leave via this form.
You’ll enter:
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The type of leave (Annual, Sick, etc.)
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Start and end dates
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Whether it was paid or unpaid
We’ll:
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Subtract the days from the employee’s leave balance
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Update the payslip
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Notify both parties if the employee has run out of paid leave
🛑 If an employee takes more leave than they’ve earned, that time is considered unpaid.
💬 Do I have to use 15 days?
No. AskMandla gives you the option to customise the leave days when you set up the contract.
You can offer:
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More than 15 days (e.g. 20 or unlimited)
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Less than 15 days only if you pro-rate based on hours worked
💡 The app will always apply the correct accrual based on what you enter.
🗂️ Where does this show up?
Leave information appears:
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In your WhatsApp chat when you request it
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On the employee’s monthly payslip
❓Common questions
What happens if my employee takes leave without asking?
If the leave is not approved or not communicated, it can be marked as unauthorised absence. This will reflect on the payslip and may lead to unpaid days or disciplinary action.
Can I carry over unused leave to the next year?
Yes, but it’s not required by law. Most employers follow a “use it or lose it” policy. You can specify this in the contract.
Does leave accrue during maternity leave?
Yes. Annual leave does accrue while the employee is on unpaid/paid maternity leave.