In short
An annual leave request should state your full name, your employee number if you have one, the dates you want to take off and whether you are asking for unpaid travel leave (Annual Paid Leave Regulation, Art. 8). Give it to your employer in writing at least one month before the leave (Art. 7). The employer is not bound by the dates you ask for, but cannot split your leave unilaterally.
Template text
Fill in the fields in square brackets with your own details.
Date: ..../..../20....
[Company name] Human Resources
ANNUAL PAID LEAVE REQUEST
I have been working in the [Department] department as [Job title] since [Start date]. Under Article 53 of Labour Law No. 4857, I would like to take [Number of days] working days of the paid annual leave I am entitled to, between [Start date] and [End date]. I will return to work on [Return date].
- I will spend my leave away from the workplace's location ([City / district]); I request [1–4] days of unpaid travel leave for the journey there and back (Labour Law, Art. 56).
- I do not request unpaid travel leave.
I kindly ask for your approval.
- Full name:
- Employee number (if any):
- Phone during leave (optional):
- Signature:
Manager approval
Name:
Signature:
Date:
Human Resources
Name:
Signature:
Date:
This letter is a request; the leave is confirmed once the employer approves it.
How to fill it in
- Write the company name and the department receiving the letter (Human Resources or your manager).
- Fill in your start date, department and job title.
- Write the number of working days you want and the date range. Weekly rest days and public holidays are not counted as leave, so count working days rather than calendar days.
- If you will spend the leave in another city, tick the travel leave option and write the number of days (up to 4 days, unpaid).
- Date and sign the letter, hand it in at least one month before the leave and keep an approved copy.
Legal basis and points to note
- Annual leave depends on length of service: at least 14 days for 1–5 years (5 years included), 20 days for more than 5 and less than 15 years, and 26 days for 15 years or more. Employees aged 18 or under or 50 and over get at least 20 days (Labour Law, Art. 53).
- The employee notifies the employer in writing at least one month before the intended leave. The employer is not bound by the requested dates; when requests overlap, seniority and the date of the previous year's leave take priority (Regulation, Arts. 7–8).
- The employer cannot split annual leave. By agreement it may be taken in parts, one of which must be at least 10 days (Art. 56).
- Weekly rest days, national holidays and public holidays falling within the leave are not counted as leave (Art. 56).
- An employee spending the leave elsewhere gets up to 4 days of unpaid travel leave in total, on request and with proof (Art. 56).
- Leave pay is paid in advance or as an advance before the leave starts (Art. 57).
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should the request be made?
Under Art. 7 of the Annual Paid Leave Regulation, the employee notifies the employer in writing at least one month before the intended leave. A shorter notice period at your workplace is in the employee's favour.
Can the employer refuse an annual leave request?
The employer is not bound by the requested dates and may set different dates depending on the needs of the business (Regulation, Art. 8). But annual leave cannot be waived: the employer cannot avoid granting it altogether and cannot split it unilaterally.
Should the letter state working days or calendar days?
Annual leave is taken in working days; weekly rest days and public holidays within the leave are not deducted (Labour Law, Art. 56). Write the number of working days you will use and the date range.
Is travel leave paid?
No. Travel leave is unpaid leave of up to four days in total, granted to an employee who will spend the leave away from the workplace's location, on request and with proof (Art. 56).
Does an electronic leave request replace the letter?
The Regulation allows leave records to be kept in a leave book or card index and does not prohibit electronic records. In a dispute the employer must prove the leave was granted, so it is important to keep the request the employee made from their own account and the approval records.
Sources
- Labour Law No. 4857, Arts. 53, 56, 57
- Annual Paid Leave Regulation, Arts. 7, 8