A SURVEY OF PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS ATTITUDE TOWARDS ANNUAL LEAVE

Annual leave can be defined ‘as paid leave for the purpose of recreation to which employees become entitled after a period of qualifying service or employment with a particular employer’ In Ghana according to the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 251), workers are entitled to not less than fifteen working days with full pay in any calendar year of continuous service. The expression “full pay” means the worker’s normal remuneration, without overtime payment; including the cash equivalent of any remuneration in kind. Employers do have some discretion as to when employees can take this leave and there are a number of conditions associated with the taking of annual leave. The most stringent of these is the fact that money cannot be taken in lieu of annual leave unless employment is terminated, thereby explicitly admitting that employees need to take their annual leave. The survey results revealed that workers appreciation on the enjoyment of annual leave leaves much to be desired. There is therefore the need for employers to institute measures that would ensure that workers understand the need to enjoy their leave in order to ensure productivity.