Sick Leave Calculator South Africa: BCEA Entitlement and Days Remaining

How many sick days do you get in South Africa?

BCEA s22(2) gives an employee paid sick leave equal to the number of days they would normally work in six weeks, during every sick leave cycle. The entitlement depends on the working week, not on a fixed number:

The leave is not split per year. An employee can use all 30 days in the first year of a cycle and have none left for the next two. For a fuller guide to the rules, read sick leave in South Africa.

How the BCEA sick leave cycle works

BCEA s22(1) defines the sick leave cycle as 36 months of employment with the same employer, starting on the day employment begins or when the previous cycle ends. It is not a calendar year or a financial year, so each employee has their own cycle dates.

Example: an employee who started on 1 October 2024 is in a cycle that runs to 30 September 2027. The next cycle starts on 1 October 2027 with a new entitlement. The Act does not provide for unused sick days to carry over to the next cycle or to be paid out.

Sick leave in the first six months of employment

In the first six months, the six-week entitlement does not apply yet. Instead, BCEA s22(3) gives 1 day of paid sick leave for every 26 days worked. A five-day-week employee works about 21 to 22 days a month, so they earn roughly 1 sick day a month, and about 5 by the end of month six.

Example: an employee started on 1 July 2026. By 1 October 2026 they have been employed 92 calendar days, which is about 65 working days on a five-day week. 65 / 26 = 2.5, so they have earned 2 paid sick days. The calculator rounds down because the Act gives a day for every complete 26 days worked.

The first cycle offset: BCEA s22(4)

Once the six months are over, the full entitlement applies for the rest of the first 36-month cycle. Under BCEA s22(4), the employer may reduce that first cycle entitlement by the sick days the employee took in the first six months. It is an option for the employer, not a requirement.

Example: a five-day-week employee took 3 sick days in their first six months. If the employer applies s22(4), the employee has 30 - 3 = 27 days left for the rest of the first cycle. If not, they still have 30. The offset only applies to the first cycle.

When can an employer ask for a medical certificate?

Under BCEA s23(1), the employer does not have to pay for sick leave if the employee:

• was absent for more than two consecutive days, or
• was absent on more than two occasions during an eight-week period,

and, when the employer asks, does not produce a medical certificate stating that they could not work because of sickness or injury. The certificate must be issued and signed by a medical practitioner or another person who is certified to diagnose and treat patients and is registered with a professional council established by an Act of Parliament (s23(2)). If an employee lives on the employer's premises and cannot reasonably get a certificate, the employer must give reasonable help before withholding pay (s23(3)). See our guide to medical certificate requirements in South Africa.

How much sick pay is the employee entitled to?

For each day of sick leave, the employer must pay the wage the employee would ordinarily have received for that day, on the usual pay day (BCEA s22(5)). An agreement may reduce the daily sick pay only if the number of paid sick days goes up to match, each day is paid at no less than 75% of the ordinary wage, and the total pay over the cycle is at least what s22(2) would give (s22(6)).

Who does the BCEA sick leave rule apply to?

• Most employees. Section 3 excludes a few groups, such as members of the State Security Agency and unpaid volunteers working for an organisation serving a charitable purpose (BCEA s3(1), as amended). Check the current consolidated Act for the full list.
• 24 hours a month. The leave chapter, which includes sick leave, does not apply to an employee who works less than 24 hours a month for the employer (s19(1)).
• High earners and senior managers still get sick leave. The BCEA earnings threshold is set under s6(3) and only removes higher earners from parts of Chapter Two (working time, such as overtime). Senior managerial employees are also excluded from Chapter Two only (s6(1)(a)). Sick leave is in Chapter Three, so it applies whatever the employee earns.
• Injuries on duty. Sections 22 and 23 do not apply to inability to work caused by an occupational accident or disease covered by the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act, except for any period when no compensation is payable under that Act (s24).

Can employers give more than the minimum?

Yes. The BCEA sets a floor. A term in the employment contract that is more favourable to the employee applies instead (BCEA s4). Sectoral determinations and bargaining council agreements can set their own leave rules, but a bargaining council agreement may not reduce the sick leave entitlement in sections 22, 23 and 24 (s49(1)(e)). The public service has its own leave rules. If your employer, sector or bargaining council gives more, use those numbers instead of this calculator.

How many sick days do employees actually take?

There is little published South African data. In national and provincial government departments, employees who took sick leave took an average of 7.3 days a year over 2020 to 2023 (Public Service Commission, 2025). At that rate, a five-day-week employee would use about 22 of their 30 days in a cycle. To see what sick leave costs your organisation, use the cost of absenteeism calculator.

How this calculator works

1. Full cycle entitlement = days worked per week x 6.
2. The current cycle starts on the cycle start date and moves forward in 36-month steps until it contains the "calculate as at" date. The cycle ends the day before the next one starts.
3. If the date falls in the first six months of employment, days worked are estimated as calendar days employed x days per week / 7, and earned sick days are that number divided by 26, rounded down.
4. Otherwise, remaining days = full entitlement minus sick days taken in the cycle. In the first cycle, you can choose whether the employer applies the s22(4) offset.

The estimate of days worked ignores public holidays, annual leave and sick days. Where the answer is close, count the actual days worked from the attendance record. For guidance on applying these rules in practice, see our page on South African labour law and absenteeism.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997, as amended, sections 3, 4, 6, 19, 22, 23, 24 and 49.
2. Public Service Commission (2025). Report on the Utilisation of Categories of Leave in the Public Service.

This page is general information, not legal advice. It covers the BCEA minimum. Check the current Act, your sectoral determination or bargaining council agreement, and the employment contract, which may give more.