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How is paid leave calculated in Morocco?
Under the usual legal rule, which comes from the Moroccan Labour Code, an employee earns 1.5 working days of paid leave per month of service, i.e. 18 days for a full year. A bonus of 1.5 days is added for each full period of 5 years of seniority. The annual entitlement, bonus included, is capped at 30 days.
Leave is counted in working days (jours ouvrables): Monday to Saturday, public holidays excluded. A Sunday or a public holiday falling during the leave is therefore not deducted from the employee's balance.
For the current calendar year, the calculator prorates this entitlement by months of service: a month counts once its day of the month is reached, starting from the hire date or from 1 January. Days earned equal the annual entitlement divided by 12, times the months counted, rounded to the half day; the balance is days earned minus days taken.
Worked example: leave balance for an employee hired in 2019
Take an employee hired on 1 March 2019, with the calculation made on 7 October 2026 and 6 days of leave already taken in 2026. The calculator gives the following figures.
- Seniority: 7 completed years, i.e. one full 5-year period and a 1.5-day bonus.
- Annual entitlement: 18 + 1.5 = 19.5 working days.
- Months counted in 2026: 10, from January to October.
- Days earned: 19.5 ÷ 12 × 10 = 16.25, rounded to the half day: 16.5 days.
- Remaining balance: 16.5 − 6 days taken = 10.5 working days.
| Completed years of service | Full 5-year periods | Seniority bonus | Annual entitlement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 years | 0 | None | 18 days |
| 5 years | 1 | 1.5 days | 19.5 days |
| 10 years | 2 | 3 days | 21 days |
| 12 years | 2 | 3 days | 21 days |
| 25 years | 5 | 7.5 days | 25.5 days |
| 40 years and more | 8 or more | 12 days (cap reached) | 30 days (cap) |
Which mistakes most often distort a leave balance?
Most disagreements about leave come from loose counting, not from the rule itself.
- Counting calendar days instead of working days (Monday to Saturday).
- Deducting the Sundays or public holidays that fall during the leave.
- Forgetting the seniority bonus, or adding it every year instead of per full period of 5 years.
- Going over the 30-day cap for a long-serving employee.
- Not keeping the balance in writing: without a dated record of requests and days taken, any leave can turn into a dispute.
Which special cases can change the result?
The calculator applies the general rule. It can be changed by specific rules for young workers, a more favourable collective agreement, employment contract or set of company rules, periods of absence treated as actual work, or leave not yet taken when the employee leaves the company.
The reference period and practical arrangements also vary between companies, whereas the calculator works on the calendar year. Results are indicative, based on the rule applied by the tool at its update date, and the texts can change: have any special case validated by your expert-comptable (chartered accountant) or a labour-law adviser.
How does SOGESTIO track your employees' leave?
In the Pro and Groupe packs, SOGESTIO's human resources module calculates the paid-leave balance with the same rule as this calculator. Leave and absences are counted in working days, Monday to Saturday, with fixed-date public holidays excluded, and each leave request goes through the approval workflow, where nobody can approve their own request.
The module also covers employment contracts (CDI, CDD, ANAPEC, internship, temporary work) with an alert before a contract or trial period ends, expense claims, and payroll with CNSS, AMO, IR and seniority. SOGESTIO prepares and automates; special cases remain for your accountant to validate.
Free, indicative tool: it does not replace advice from your accountant. Rates and rules change with the finance laws. Updated .
Frequently asked questions
How many days of paid annual leave do employees get in Morocco?
Under the usual legal rule, an employee earns 1.5 working days per month of service, i.e. 18 working days for a full year. The entitlement rises by 1.5 days for each full period of 5 years of seniority, up to 30 days. A collective agreement, the employment contract or company rules may grant more.
How does seniority increase annual leave?
The bonus is 1.5 days per full period of 5 years of service, not per year. The annual entitlement therefore becomes 19.5 days at 5 years, 21 days at 10 years and 25.5 days at 25 years, and reaches the 30-day cap from 40 years of seniority.
Are Sundays and public holidays deducted from leave?
No. Paid leave is counted in working days, Monday to Saturday, public holidays excluded. A full week of leave from Monday to Saturday with no public holiday uses 6 days of the balance, and a public holiday falling during the leave is not deducted.
Does an employee hired during the year earn paid leave?
Yes, pro rata to the months of service. For a hire on 15 March 2026, the calculator counts 7 months on 7 October 2026 (the 15th of each month from March to September), i.e. 7 × 1.5 = 10.5 days earned out of an annual entitlement of 18 days. When the employee can actually take leave should be checked with your adviser.
What happens to untaken leave when an employee leaves?
Days earned and not taken at departure normally give rise to a compensatory payment. Its conditions and calculation depend on the situation: have them validated by your expert-comptable or a labour-law adviser before drawing up the final settlement.