When do I get paid leave after joining a company?

If you have worked continuously for 6 months from your hire date and attended at least 80% of working days in that period, you are granted 10 days on the day 6 months later (for 5 or more days a week, or 30 or more hours a week). If you joined on April 1, that is 10 days on October 1. After that, leave is granted every year: 11 days at 1.5 years of service, 12 days at 2.5 years, 14 days at 3.5 years, 16 days at 4.5 years, 18 days at 5.5 years, and 20 days every year from 6.5 years.

Do part-timers and arbeit workers get paid leave too?

Yes. If you work fewer than 30 hours a week and 4 days a week or fewer, you are granted days according to your scheduled working days (pro-rated grant). At 6 months of service, that is 7 days for 4 days a week, 5 days for 3 days a week, 3 days for 2 days a week, and 1 day for 1 day a week. If you work 30 hours a week or more, you get the same 10 days as a full-time employee even at 4 days a week or fewer.

How many days do I get if I work 3 days a week as a part-timer?

You get 5 days at 6 months of service, 6 days at 1.5 years, 6 days at 2.5 years, 8 days at 3.5 years, 9 days at 4.5 years, 10 days at 5.5 years, and 11 days at 6.5 years or more. You reach 10 days at 5.5 years of service, so from that year the mandatory 5 days applies to you.

What if I work shifts and my weekly days are not fixed?

It is judged by your scheduled working days per year. With 217 days or more, the regular number of days applies; 169 to 216 days is treated as 4 days a week, 121 to 168 days as 3 days a week, 73 to 120 days as 2 days a week, and 48 to 72 days as 1 day a week. With fewer than 48 days, you are not eligible for a grant.

Can paid leave be carried over? What is the maximum I can hold?

Unused paid leave can be carried over to the next year. However, because the limitation period is 2 years, it can be carried over only once and disappears 2 years after it was granted. For someone with 6.5 or more years of service who gets 20 days a year, the maximum is 40 days: 20 carried over from last year plus 20 for this year.

When does paid leave expire?

Leave expires 2 years after the day it was granted. For example, leave granted on October 1, 2024 can be used until September 30, 2026. The “Check grant days” tab of this tool lists the last day each grant can be used.

What is the mandatory 5 days of paid leave?

It is a rule that requires a company to have employees who are granted 10 or more days of paid leave a year take 5 days within 1 year of the grant date (Labor Standards Act, Article 39, paragraph 7, since April 2019). Days you took yourself and days under a planned leave scheme (計画年休) also count toward the 5 days. A company that fails to comply can be fined up to 300,000 yen per employee.

If I joined on August 31, when is my first grant date?

Because there is no corresponding date 6 months later (February 31), the 6-month period ends on the last day of February, and the following day, March 1, becomes the grant date. If you joined on August 31, 2025, your first grant is on March 1, 2026.

What happens in a year when my attendance is below 80%?

No leave is granted for that year. However, your length of service is still counted, so if you attend at least 80% the following year, you are granted the days that correspond to your length of service (skipping the days of the missed year). When calculating attendance, days on paid leave, days off due to work-related injury or illness, and periods of maternity leave, childcare leave, and family care leave are treated as attended.

Is paid leave used from the oldest grant or the newest one?

The law does not specify, but it is generally treated as using the carry-over (oldest) leave first. Using the oldest first reduces the number of days that expire. Some companies’ work rules say to use the newest first, so the “Calculate remaining days & carry-over” tab lets you switch the order.

Can I use all my paid leave before resigning?

Yes. The employee decides when to take paid leave, and the company can only change the timing if it would seriously interfere with normal business operations. Because there is no later day to move it to after the resignation date, a request to take it all before resigning generally cannot be refused. Calculate your remaining days first, then decide your last working day and resignation date, which makes it easier to plan the handover.

Annual Paid Leave Grant & Remaining Days Calculator (Auto-Calculated from Hire Date)

Just enter your hire date and work pattern (scheduled working days and hours per week) to calculate when and how many days of annual paid leave (年次有給休暇) are granted. See the grant schedule by length of service, the date each grant expires under the 2-year limitation period, and the deadline for the mandatory 5 days of leave in one list. Enter the days used each year to also calculate carry-over from the previous year, days that expired, and your current remaining balance. It supports pro-rated grants for part-timers (1 to 4 days a week, or scheduled working days per year), years with attendance below 80%, and half-day leave.

ABOUT

About Annual Paid Leave Grant & Remaining Days Calculator (Auto-Calculated from Hire Date)

The Paid Leave Days Calculator works out when and how many days of annual paid leave (年次有給休暇, nenji yūkyū kyūka) you are granted, from your hire date and scheduled working days per week. The grant date is 6 months after the hire date and then every year, and the number of days rises from 10 at 6 months of service to 20 at 6.5 years or more (Labor Standards Act, Article 39). It also supports pro-rated grants for part-timers (1 to 4 days per week, or scheduled working days per year), and lists the date each grant expires under the 2-year limitation period and the deadline for the mandatory 5 days of leave. If you enter the days used each year, it also shows the carry-over from the previous year, the days that expired, and your current remaining balance.

How to use Annual Paid Leave Grant & Remaining Days Calculator (Auto-Calculated from Hire Date)

1Enter your hire date (the reference date defaults to today if left blank)
2Choose your scheduled working days per week. If it is 4 days or fewer, also choose whether your scheduled weekly hours are 30 or more
3On the “Check grant days” tab, review the latest and next grant dates and days, the grant schedule, and the deadline for the mandatory 5 days
4On the “Calculate remaining days & carry-over” tab, enter the days used in each year to see your current balance and the days that will expire
5On the “Grant days chart” tab, compare grant days by length of service and work pattern

Great for

Find out when and how many days of paid leave you get after joining a company
Check the next grant date and how many days will be added then
Look up the paid leave days for part-time or arbeit work (3 or 4 days a week, etc.)
See how many days carried over from last year and when they expire
Verify that the remaining days on your payslip or attendance system are correct
Check how many more days you need to meet the mandatory 5 days, and the deadline
Calculate your remaining paid leave before resigning to decide your last working day
For HR and labor staff: confirm each employee’s grant dates and grant days

Good to know

Grant days are calculated with the table in Article 39, paragraph 2 of the Labor Standards Act, and for people with fewer scheduled working days, the pro-rated table in Article 24-3 of the Enforcement Regulations. If scheduled weekly hours are 30 or more, the regular number of days applies even for 4 days a week or fewer.
The grant date is the corresponding date 6 months after the hire date, and then every year. If there is no corresponding date (for example, 6 months after August 31), the day after the last day of that month (March 1) is used as the grant date.
Some companies align everyone’s grant date to April 1 or similar (called 斉一的取扱い, “uniform treatment”). In that case leave is granted earlier than the legal minimum, so the dates will not match this calculation. Check your company’s work rules (就業規則).
The conditions for a grant are continuous employment for 6 months (the previous year for the second grant onward) and attendance on at least 80% of all working days. If you check the box for a year with attendance under 80% on the “Calculate remaining days & carry-over” tab, that year’s grant is calculated as 0 days.
The limitation period for paid leave is 2 years (Labor Standards Act, Article 115). The limitation period for wage claims was extended to 5 years (currently 3 years) in April 2020, but annual paid leave remains at 2 years.
Days used are deducted from the oldest grant first (the carry-over from the previous year). For companies whose work rules say to use the newest grant first, you can switch the order.
The mandatory 5 days applies to people whose grant in that round is 10 days or more. The 5 days must be taken within 1 year of the grant date, and days taken from carry-over and half-day leave (0.5 day) count. Leave taken by the hour does not count toward the 5 days.
If your scheduled working days change midway, eligibility is judged by the scheduled working days on the grant date. This tool assumes you have kept the same work pattern since joining.
Everything you enter is calculated in your browser and is never sent to a server.

Questions this tool answers

Use Annual Paid Leave Grant & Remaining Days Calculator (Auto-Calculated from Hire Date) for searches like these:

I want to calculate how many days of paid leave I get
I want to know when I get paid leave after joining
I want to know my next paid leave grant date
I want to know the paid leave days for part-time and arbeit work
I want to know the paid leave days for working 3 days a week
I want to calculate my remaining paid leave days
I want to know when my carried-over paid leave expires
I want to know the maximum days of paid leave I can accumulate
I want to know the deadline for the mandatory 5 days of paid leave
I want to see a chart of paid leave grant days
I want to check my remaining paid leave before resigning

FAQ

When do I get paid leave after joining a company?: If you have worked continuously for 6 months from your hire date and attended at least 80% of working days in that period, you are granted 10 days on the day 6 months later (for 5 or more days a week, or 30 or more hours a week). If you joined on April 1, that is 10 days on October 1. After that, leave is granted every year: 11 days at 1.5 years of service, 12 days at 2.5 years, 14 days at 3.5 years, 16 days at 4.5 years, 18 days at 5.5 years, and 20 days every year from 6.5 years.
Do part-timers and arbeit workers get paid leave too?: Yes. If you work fewer than 30 hours a week and 4 days a week or fewer, you are granted days according to your scheduled working days (pro-rated grant). At 6 months of service, that is 7 days for 4 days a week, 5 days for 3 days a week, 3 days for 2 days a week, and 1 day for 1 day a week. If you work 30 hours a week or more, you get the same 10 days as a full-time employee even at 4 days a week or fewer.
How many days do I get if I work 3 days a week as a part-timer?: You get 5 days at 6 months of service, 6 days at 1.5 years, 6 days at 2.5 years, 8 days at 3.5 years, 9 days at 4.5 years, 10 days at 5.5 years, and 11 days at 6.5 years or more. You reach 10 days at 5.5 years of service, so from that year the mandatory 5 days applies to you.
What if I work shifts and my weekly days are not fixed?: It is judged by your scheduled working days per year. With 217 days or more, the regular number of days applies; 169 to 216 days is treated as 4 days a week, 121 to 168 days as 3 days a week, 73 to 120 days as 2 days a week, and 48 to 72 days as 1 day a week. With fewer than 48 days, you are not eligible for a grant.
Can paid leave be carried over? What is the maximum I can hold?: Unused paid leave can be carried over to the next year. However, because the limitation period is 2 years, it can be carried over only once and disappears 2 years after it was granted. For someone with 6.5 or more years of service who gets 20 days a year, the maximum is 40 days: 20 carried over from last year plus 20 for this year.
When does paid leave expire?: Leave expires 2 years after the day it was granted. For example, leave granted on October 1, 2024 can be used until September 30, 2026. The “Check grant days” tab of this tool lists the last day each grant can be used.
What is the mandatory 5 days of paid leave?: It is a rule that requires a company to have employees who are granted 10 or more days of paid leave a year take 5 days within 1 year of the grant date (Labor Standards Act, Article 39, paragraph 7, since April 2019). Days you took yourself and days under a planned leave scheme (計画年休) also count toward the 5 days. A company that fails to comply can be fined up to 300,000 yen per employee.
If I joined on August 31, when is my first grant date?: Because there is no corresponding date 6 months later (February 31), the 6-month period ends on the last day of February, and the following day, March 1, becomes the grant date. If you joined on August 31, 2025, your first grant is on March 1, 2026.
What happens in a year when my attendance is below 80%?: No leave is granted for that year. However, your length of service is still counted, so if you attend at least 80% the following year, you are granted the days that correspond to your length of service (skipping the days of the missed year). When calculating attendance, days on paid leave, days off due to work-related injury or illness, and periods of maternity leave, childcare leave, and family care leave are treated as attended.
Is paid leave used from the oldest grant or the newest one?: The law does not specify, but it is generally treated as using the carry-over (oldest) leave first. Using the oldest first reduces the number of days that expire. Some companies’ work rules say to use the newest first, so the “Calculate remaining days & carry-over” tab lets you switch the order.
Can I use all my paid leave before resigning?: Yes. The employee decides when to take paid leave, and the company can only change the timing if it would seriously interfere with normal business operations. Because there is no later day to move it to after the resignation date, a request to take it all before resigning generally cannot be refused. Calculate your remaining days first, then decide your last working day and resignation date, which makes it easier to plan the handover.

Special Thanks

SOLO GUILD | サービス作るAIエンジニア

Back to all tools