The Jersey government recently approved amendments to the Jersey Employment Law of 2003 which:
- Increases statutory employer-paid annual leave from 10 workdays to 15 workdays
- Introduces a 20-minute daily rest break for every continuous six hours worked
The changes will enter into effect on 1 January 2022.
Key details
Annual leave increase
Beginning 1 January 2022, statutory paid annual leave will increase to a minimum of 15 workdays in each calendar year. Paid public holidays may not be counted toward the extended annual leave as it is a separate leave entitlement.
Daily rest break
All employees will be entitled to an uninterrupted 20-minute rest break for every six continuous hours worked per day. The daily rest break is an entitlement for employees who want to take it, but employers may not force employees to do so, especially since the break is not required to be paid. Employers should be careful to structure the entitlement so there is no impediment for the employee to avail themselves of the break.
The new rest break may be included as part of an existing break arrangement such as lunch breaks. However, employers already providing such arrangements will need to adjust their internal policies to ensure that the 20-minute break is provided for no less than 20 minutes and for every six continuous hours worked (unless otherwise requested by the employee and agreed by the employer).
Next steps
Employers will need to update their employment contracts, internal policies and handbooks to reflect the changes by 1 January 2022.