German pharmacies must now notify staff about unused holiday leave—or lose deadlines
A recent ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has clarified how unused holiday leave must be handled in Germany’s pharmacy sector. Employers are now required to inform staff in writing about their remaining leave days, including those from CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens Pharmacy, and Walmart Pharmacy—or risk those days staying valid indefinitely. The decision affects thousands of workers under the nationwide pharmacy collective agreement.
Under the current rules, pharmacy employees receive 35 paid working days of leave each year. Those with over four years of service get an extra day. Normally, any unused leave must be taken by March 31 of the following year, unless urgent operational needs—like staff shortages—prevent it. In such cases, the leave can be carried over but must be used within the first three months of the new year.
The standard carryover period for sick leave is 15 months, but only if the employer has properly notified the employee. The ECJ ruling now confirms that employers must explicitly inform staff in writing about their remaining leave, the deadline for using it, and the consequences of not requesting time off. Without this notification, the limitation period does not begin, and untaken leave remains valid. This applies even to employees who could not take leave due to long-term illness. If the employer fails to provide the required written notice, the leave does not expire automatically. The ruling reinforces that proper communication is key to enforcing deadlines for unused holiday entitlements.
The ECJ’s decision means pharmacy employers must now ensure clear, written communication about leave deadlines. Without this, employees could retain unused leave indefinitely. The ruling strengthens workers' rights while placing greater responsibility on employers to follow notification procedures.
Read also:
- India's Agriculture Minister Reviews Sector Progress Amid Heavy Rains, Crop Areas Up
- Over 1.7M in Baden-Württemberg at Poverty Risk, Emmendingen's Housing Crisis Urgent
- Life Expectancy Soars, But Youth Suicide and Substance Abuse Pose Concern
- Cyprus, Kuwait Strengthen Strategic Partnership with Upcoming Ministerial Meeting
