Who decides when you take your holiday, by country
No statute here gives the employee a free choice of dates. Austria, Australia and Spain start from agreement between the two sides, and Spain sends an unresolved disagreement to the labour court. Germany, the Netherlands and Norway have the employer decide, but must weigh the employee's wishes, and in the Netherlands silence from the employer for two weeks makes the employee's dates stand. Sweden and Norway set the notice at two months, while France lets an employer change dates up to one month before. Rules on a continuous block range from 12 days in Germany and France to four weeks in a Swedish summer.
Scope of this guide
Canada: the Canada Labour Code (federal sector) and the Ontario statutes that LawAsked has loaded. Other provinces are not compared.
| Country | Who decides the dates | Notice and changes | Continuous block |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | Agreed between employer and employee, taking account of the needs of the business and the employee's chance to recover | With a works council, an employee who proposes dates three months ahead for at least 12 working days can take them unless the employer sues in the labour court six to eight weeks before | Two parts at most; one part must be at least six working days |
| Australia | Agreed between employer and employee; the employer must not unreasonably refuse a request | ||
| Canada | The employer grants the vacation; it must begin within ten months after the year of entitlement ends | One period, or several periods if the employee asks in writing and the employer approves in writing | |
| Germany | The employer sets the dates but must take the employee's wishes into account | Leave is given in one block unless urgent business or personal reasons require a split; if split and over 12 working days, one part is at least 12 consecutive working days | |
| Spain | Agreed between employer and worker; if they disagree, the labour court sets the date and its decision cannot be appealed | The worker must know the dates at least two months before the leave starts | |
| France | A company or branch agreement fixes the leave period and order of departure; failing that, the employer decides after the works council's opinion | Without an agreement, the employer cannot change order or dates less than a month before departure, except in exceptional circumstances | A main leave over 12 working days can be split with the employee's agreement; one part must be at least 12 continuous working days |
| Japan | The employee's requested time; the employer may give another time only if the request would disrupt normal business operations | The employer must itself fix the timing of five days a year per worker, within one year of the base date, once entitlement reaches ten days | |
| Netherlands | The employer sets the dates in line with the employee's wishes unless weighty reasons prevent it | If the employer gives no written reasons within two weeks of the employee's written wishes, the holiday is fixed as the employee wished; the employer must fix it early enough for the employee to prepare | On request and if weighty reasons prevent the wished dates, two consecutive weeks or one week twice, as far as the entitlement reaches |
| Norway | The employer decides after discussing it with the employee, if no agreement is reached, within the limits of §§ 7-9 | The employee can ask for notice at the earliest possible time and at the latest two months before the leave starts | The employee can require the main holiday of 18 working days in the 1 June to 30 September period, and the remaining 7 working days together within the year |
| Sweden | Agreed with the employee or the union; if no agreement, the employer decides unless otherwise agreed | The employer must tell the employee at least two months before the leave begins, or if there are special reasons, if possible at least one month | At least four weeks in June to August unless otherwise agreed or special reasons require another time |
Country by country
Austria
- Rule
- Urlaubsgesetz § 4
- Applies to employees covered by the Urlaubsgesetz. The works council route needs an establishment with a works council and negotiation with it first.
- Leave cannot be agreed for a period when the employee is already known to be prevented from working by illness or other paid absence.
Der Zeitpunkt des Urlaubsantrittes ist zwischen dem Arbeitgeber und dem Arbeitnehmer unter Rücksichtnahme auf die Erfordernisse des Betriebes und die Erholungsmöglichkeiten des Arbeitnehmers zu vereinbaren.Der Urlaub kann in zwei Teilen verbraucht werden, doch muß ein Teil mindestens sechs Werktage betragen.dem Arbeitgeber mindestens drei Monate vorher bekanntgegebenso kann der Arbeitnehmer den Urlaub zu dem von ihm vorgeschlagenen Zeitpunkt antreten Australia
- Rule
- Fair Work Act 2009 s 88
- National Employment Standards. The section sets no notice period and no minimum block. Modern awards and enterprise agreements can add terms on taking annual leave.
Paid annual leave may be taken for a period agreed between an employee and his or her employer.The employer must not unreasonably refuse to agree to a request by the employee to take paid annual leave. Canada
- Rule
- Canada Labour Code ss 184.1, 185
- Federal sector only (Canada Labour Code). The section does not say who picks the dates within the ten months, so this guide does not state it.
shall grant to the employee the vacation to which the employee is entitled, which shall begin not later than ten months immediately following the completion of the year of employment for which the employee became entitled to the vacation A vacation granted to an employee under this Division is to be taken only in one period or, if the employee makes a request in writing and the employer approves it in writing, in more than one period. Germany
- Rule
- Bundesurlaubsgesetz § 7
- Applies to employees covered by the Bundesurlaubsgesetz. The employee's wishes give way to urgent business needs or to the wishes of colleagues who deserve priority on social grounds.
- Leave must be given in the calendar year; carrying it over needs urgent business or personal reasons and then it must be taken in the first three months of the next year.
Bei der zeitlichen Festlegung des Urlaubs sind die Urlaubswünsche des Arbeitnehmers zu berücksichtigen, es sei denn, daß ihrer Berücksichtigung dringende betriebliche Belange oder Urlaubswünsche anderer Arbeitnehmer, die unter sozialen Gesichtspunkten den Vorrang verdienen, entgegenstehen.Der Urlaub ist zusammenhängend zu gewähren, es sei denn, daß dringende betriebliche oder in der Person des Arbeitnehmers liegende Gründe eine Teilung des Urlaubs erforderlich machen.so muß einer der Urlaubsteile mindestens zwölf aufeinanderfolgende Werktage umfassen. Spain
- Rule
- Estatuto de los Trabajadores art. 38.2-3
- Applies to employees under the Estatuto. The company fixes an annual holiday calendar, and collective agreements may plan holidays for the year.
- The article sets no minimum continuous block, so this guide does not state one.
El periodo o periodos de su disfrute se fijará de común acuerdo entre el empresario y el trabajadorEn caso de desacuerdo entre las partes, la jurisdicción social fijará la fecha que para el disfrute corresponda y su decisión será irrecurrible.El trabajador conocerá las fechas que le correspondan dos meses antes, al menos, del comienzo del disfrute. France
- Rule
- Code du travail art. L3141-13, L3141-15, L3141-16, L3141-19
- Applies to employees covered by the Code du travail. The leave period must in every case include 1 May to 31 October.
- The employee's agreement to a split is not needed when the leave falls during the closure of the establishment.
- Spouses and civil partners working in the same company have a right to leave at the same time.
Les congés sont pris dans une période qui comprend dans tous les cas la période du 1er mai au 31 octobre de chaque année. Un accord d'entreprise ou d'établissement ou, à défaut, une convention ou un accord de branche fixe Définit après avis, le cas échéant, du comité social et économiqueNe peut, sauf en cas de circonstances exceptionnelles, modifier l'ordre et les dates de départ moins d'un mois avant la date de départ prévue. Lorsque le congé principal est d'une durée supérieure à douze jours ouvrables, il peut être fractionné avec l'accord du salarié.Une des fractions est au moins égale à douze jours ouvrables continus compris entre deux jours de repos hebdomadaire. Les conjoints et les partenaires liés par un pacte civil de solidarité travaillant dans une même entreprise ont droit à un congé simultané. Japan
- Rule
- 労働基準法 第三十九条
- Applies to workers entitled to paid leave under Article 39. A written workforce agreement can fix the timing of the days beyond five.
- The statute sets no notice period for the employee's request and no minimum block, so this guide does not state them.
使用者は、前各項の規定による有給休暇を労働者の請求する時季に与えなければならない。ただし、請求された時季に有給休暇を与えることが事業の正常な運営を妨げる場合においては、他の時季にこれを与えることができる。一年以内の期間に、労働者ごとにその時季を定めることにより与えなければならないこれらの規定による有給休暇の日数のうち五日を超える部分については、前項の規定にかかわらず、その定めにより有給休暇を与えることができる。 Netherlands
- Rule
- BW 7 art. 638
- Applies unless the dates are fixed by written agreement, collective agreement or other regulation. The employer may change fixed dates for weighty reasons after consulting the employee and must compensate the employee's loss.
stelt de werkgever de tijdstippen van aanvang en einde van de vakantie vast overeenkomstig de wensen van de werknemer tenzij gewichtige redenen zich daartegen verzetten.Indien de werkgever niet binnen twee weken nadat de werknemer zijn wensen schriftelijk heeft kenbaar gemaakt, schriftelijk aan de werknemer gewichtige redenen heeft aangevoerd, is de vakantie vastgesteld overeenkomstig de wensen van de werknemer.wordt de vakantie op zodanige wijze vastgesteld dat de werknemer desverlangd, voorzover zijn aanspraak daartoe toereikend is, gedurende twee opeenvolgende weken of tweemaal een week vakantie kan opnemen.De werkgever stelt de vakantie zo tijdig vast dat de werknemer gelegenheid heeft tot het treffen van voorbereidingen voor de besteding van de vakantie.De schade die de werknemer lijdt ten gevolge van de wijziging van het tijdvak van de vakantie, wordt door de werkgever vergoed. Norway
- Rule
- Ferieloven §§ 6, 7
- Applies to employees covered by the Ferieloven. A collective agreement or other agreement can depart from the rules in § 6 and § 7.
- The employer may change fixed dates only because of unforeseen events that would cause serious operating problems, and must cover documented extra costs.
- An employee over 60 chooses when to take the extra week of leave unless otherwise agreed.
Oppnås ikke enighet, fastsetter arbeidsgiver tiden for ferien innenfor de grenser som følger av §§ 7-9.Arbeidstaker kan kreve å få underretning om feriefastsettingen tidligst mulig og senest 2 måneder før ferien tar tilArbeidstaker over 60 år bestemmer selv tiden for avvikling av ekstraferien, med mindre annet er avtalt.Slik endring kan bare foretas når avvikling av den fastsatte ferien på grunn av uforutsette hendinger vil skape vesentlige driftsproblemerReglene i denne paragraf kan fravikes ved tariffavtale eller annen avtale. Arbeidstaker kan kreve at hovedferie som omfatter 18 virkedager gis i hovedferieperiodenArbeidstaker kan kreve at restferien (7 virkedager) gis samlet innenfor ferieåret. Sweden
- Rule
- Semesterlag 10-12 §§
- Applies to employees covered by the Semesterlag. Where no one negotiates for the employee, the employer must consult the employee about when the leave is placed.
- The two-month notice applies when the placement was decided other than by agreement.
ska arbetsgivaren samråda med arbetstagaren om ledighetens förläggning. Om det inte går att komma överens om hur semesterledighet ska förläggas, bestämmer arbetsgivaren om förläggningen, om inte något annat har avtalats.Underrättelsen ska lämnas senast två månader före ledighetens början.Om det finns särskilda skäl, får den lämnas senare, dock om möjligt minst en månad före ledighetens början. Om inte annat har avtalats, ska semesterledigheten förläggas så, att arbetstagaren får en ledighetsperiod av minst fyra veckor under juni-augusti.Även utan stöd av avtal får en sådan semesterperiod förläggas till annan tid, när särskilda skäl föranleder det. Countries not in this table yet
The United States and the United Kingdom are missing: the federal US statutes loaded (FLSA, FMLA) set no annual leave, and the UK Employment Rights Act 1996 does not govern the timing of leave; the UK Working Time Regulations, which do, are not loaded.
How this table was built
Every row is taken from the official, consolidated text of the statute, which LawAsked loads from each government’s legislation service.
Each figure is tied to a passage quoted word for word from that text. When the page is served, it checks that every quoted passage is still in the current text of a law that is in force; if a law is amended and its wording changes, that row is hidden until a person reviews it again.
The table shows the statutory minimum only. Collective agreements, awards and individual contracts often give more than the statute, and some countries let a collective agreement set different terms.
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LawAsked, “Who decides when you take your holiday, by country”, https://lawasked.com/guides/who-sets-holiday-dates (reviewed October 25, 2026).
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