Adoption Leave in Austria

The leave policy in Austria does not extend the specific legal right to adoption leave in Austria. However, you may facilitate adoptive parents to utilize existing parental leave options as adoption leave in Austria. 

Earned Leave in Austria

You may extend the following annual leave benefits in Austria:

• Minimum: Five weeks (30 working days) per year for everyone (full-time, part-time, minimal employment).
• Bonus: After 25 years of service, offer six weeks (36 working days).

However, earned leave in Austria does not constitute more than three sick days while on vacation. 

In addition to vacation leave, you may offer at least one week of paid leave per year to take care of sick family members. An additional week of paid leave can be granted annually if a child under 12 becomes ill and requires care.

Explore compensatory leave standards to provide better incentives.

Maternity Leave in Austria

You must make suitable provisions to accommodate the following mandatory benefits under maternity leave in Austria (Mutterschutz):  

• Observe absolute employment prohibition for 16 weeks, eight weeks before the due date, and eight weeks after the birth.
• Extend the leave period up to 12 weeks after the birth in cases of multiple births, premature birth, or cesarean sections.
• Ensure employees receive a maternity allowance (Wochengeld) during this time, which is the average earnings over the previous 13 weeks before leaving.

You may also refer to best practices around the globe to offer more favorable maternity benefits in Austria.

Parental Leave in Austria

• You may grant unpaid leave from work to care for a child up to two years old. 
• The minimum mandate to extend parental leave in Austria is two months. 
• Further, you may facilitate childcare allowance (Kinderbetreuungsgeld) during the leave period. 

Explore global employee rights during parental leave to offer more incentives.

Paternity Leave in Austria

The official leave policy in Austria provides for unpaid paternity leave in two forms:

• Early paternity leave (Daddy Month): This one-month leave must be granted immediately following childbirth and coincides with the mandatory maternity leave. 
• General paternity leave in Austria: This is a minimum of two months and may be granted anytime up to the child's second birthday and may not coincide with the statutory maternity leave. 

Public Holidays in Austria

It would help if you observed the following public holidays in Austria in addition to mandatory weekly time off: 

• 1 January (New Year), 6 January (Epiphany)
• Easter Monday
• 1 May (State holiday) 
• Ascension
• Whit Monday
• Corpus Christi
• 15 August (Assumption)
• 26 October (National Holiday)
• 1 November (All Saints)
• 8 December (Immaculate Conception), 25 December (Christmas), and 26 December (St Stephen’s Day). 

Sick Leave Policy in Austria

Here's a breakdown of generous sick leave policy in Austria: 

• Paid sick leave: Employees are entitled to continue full payment for a period ranging from six weeks to 12 weeks, depending on their length of service.
• Partial sick pay: After the initial paid sick leave period ends, employees may be entitled to an additional four weeks of partial pay from health insurance, usually at 50% of their salary.

• Notification Requirements: You may demand a compulsory doctor’s note to approve sick pay benefits.

Casual leave in Austria

The labor law does not prescribe a specific concept directly called casual leave in Austria. However, you may extend the following options for short-term absences:

• Compensate previously worked overtime hours with a time off. 
• Standard vacation days may be utilized for personal reasons, including short, unplanned absences.
• Allow leave requests for unforeseen personal matters.

Unpaid Leave in Austria

The official leave policy in Austria has listed the following scenarios for offering unpaid leave: 

• Education and study leave: Minimum two months, maximum one year. You may extend leave in parts spread up to four years, but each part must be at least two months. 

Explore standard practices involving sabbatical leave to incentivize and retain top talents in Austria. 

• Compassionate leave: You may offer leave to care for seriously ill children or dying relatives. Learn more about bereavement leave here. 

Other leaves

Austrian labor law also prescribes part-time work options to accommodate various needs like parental leave, family care, or continuing education. 

Easily Navigate the Leave Policy in Austria with Skuad

Framing leave policies, like those for maternity, sickness, vacation, and adoption, can involve complexities.  Fortunately, with Skuad's Employer of Record (EOR) services, managing leave becomes more straightforward. 

Skuad's global compliance expertise extends across over 160 countries, including Austria. Our unified platform streamlines the entire process, from onboarding new hires efficiently to securely administering benefits and ensuring adherence to local leave regulations.  

With Skuad, you can build a compliant and happy workforce in Austria and beyond. Book your demo today to get started! 

FAQs

Q1. What are the leave laws in Austria?

A1. The leave laws in Austria include at least five weeks of paid vacation, paid sick leave for up to 12 weeks, and unpaid parental leave for up to two years. Maternity leave combines mandatory and optional leave for up to 24 months. The labor laws provide a company-specific leave policy to negotiate unpaid leave for personal reasons.

Q2. How many holidays a year in Austria?

A2. Austria celebrates 13 public holidays every year in addition to weekly time off. These holidays include significant holidays like New Year's Day and National Day, as well as religious holidays like Easter Monday and Assumption Day. 

Q3. What is the employment policy in Austria?

A3. The employment policy in Austria offers generous paid leave (vacation, sick leave, parental leave), standard work weeks with overtime regulations, and strong termination protections. Specific policies regarding minimum salaries may be determined by collective agreements 

Q4. How many sick days do you get in Austria?

A4. Austria prescribes paid sick leave based on employment duration. Employees receive full pay for six to 12 weeks while sick or injured, depending on how long you've been working for your employer.