Morocco

Employees who have been with the same employer for six consecutive months are entitled to paid annual leave. This leave accrues at a rate of 1.5 days per month of service for employees who are 18 years and older, and 2 days per month of service for employees who are under 18 years old. A month of service is equivalent to 26 days of actual work or 191 hours of work, whether it's continuous or discontinuous.

Accrual of Leave

The standard maximum amount of annual leave is 18 days per year for employees who are over 18. For employees who are under 18, it's 24 days per year.

Increase in Entitlement with Seniority

Employees see an increase in their vacation entitlement based on their years of service. For every five years of continuous service with the same employer, employees receive an additional 1.5 days of annual leave, up to a maximum of 30 calendar days.

Scheduling Vacation Leave

The scheduling of annual leave must be mutually agreed upon by employers and employees. With agreement, annual leave may be split into portions or accumulated over two consecutive years.

Carryover of Unused Vacation Leave

Unused leave can be carried over to the following leave period only. Employees are entitled to receive payment for unused leave upon termination of their employment.

Morocco observes a mix of national, religious, and historical public holidays throughout the year.

National Holidays

• New Year's Day (January 1st): This day celebrates the beginning of the Gregorian calendar year.
• Independence Manifesto Day (January 11th): This day commemorates the 1944 manifesto calling for Morocco's independence from France.
• Labour Day (May 1st): This day celebrates the contributions of workers and laborers. It is also known as International Workers' Day.
• Throne Day (July 30th): This day marks the anniversary of the current king's ascension to the throne.
• Oued Ed-Dahab Day (August 14th): This day commemorates the recovery of the Oued Ed-Dahab province in 1979.
• Revolution of the King and the People (August 20th): This day honors the 1953 revolution against French colonial rule and the subsequent exile of King Mohammed V.
• Youth Day (August 21st): This day celebrates the birthday of King Mohammed VI.
• Green March Day (November 6th): This day marks the 1975 Green March, a strategic mass demonstration that led to the securing of the Western Sahara region.
• Independence Day (November 18th): This day commemorates Morocco's declaration of independence from France in 1956.

Religious Holidays

Islamic holidays in Morocco follow the Hijri calendar, which is lunar-based, and thus their dates on the Gregorian calendar shift each year. Major religious holidays include:

• Aid Al-Fitr (End of Ramadan): This holiday marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
• Aid Al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice): This holiday commemorates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son.
• Awwal Muharram (Islamic New Year): This day marks the beginning of the Hijri year.
• Aid Al-Mawlid Annabawi (Prophet's Birthday): This day celebrates the birth of the Prophet Muhammad.

In Morocco, employees are entitled to various types of leave.

Annual Leave (Vacation)

Employees are entitled to 1.5 days of paid leave per month of continuous service after six months of employment. This increases to 2 days per month for employees under 18 years old. Annual leave accumulates gradually throughout the year. After five years of service, employees' annual leave entitlement increases by 1.5 days for each additional five years of work, up to a maximum of 30 days. The employer and employee should mutually agree on vacation timing. The employer has the right to split annual leave into separate periods if needed.

Sick Leave

Employees are entitled to paid sick leave after completing 54 days of contributions to the social security system within the preceding six months. After four days of sick leave, a medical certificate is required to justify the absence. Sick pay is typically two-thirds of the employee's average daily wage. An employer can request an employee's resignation if they exceed 180 consecutive days of sick leave in a single year.

Maternity Leave

Female employees are entitled to 14 weeks of fully paid maternity leave. Leave can be taken flexibly before and after childbirth. Female employees can request an additional year of unpaid leave following their maternity leave.

Paternity Leave

Fathers are entitled to three consecutive days of paid paternity leave for the birth of a child.

Other Types of Leave

Employees are entitled to three days of paid leave for the death of a spouse or close relative (Bereavement Leave). They are also entitled to four days of leave for their own marriage, two of which are paid (Marriage Leave). Fathers are entitled to one day of paid leave for a son's circumcision (Circumcision Leave). Employees may be granted leave for civic responsibilities like voting or serving on a jury (Civic Duties).