The holiday season is approaching. Many employees have already planned dates for annual leave. However, there are situations in which taking leave at the planned time is not possible for various reasons. The Labour Code provides for such cases.

Leave may be postponed to another date:

• At the employee’s initiative – if important reasons occur (e.g. a sudden family event, the cancellation of a travel agency booking, etc.). Regardless of the importance of the reasons, the employer is not bound to agree to the employee’s request.
• At the employer’s initiative – if there are special needs unknown at the time of planning the leave and the employee’s absence would cause serious disruption to work. In that case, the employer may independently change the leave date without needing the employee’s consent. If the employee incurs costs related to the change (e.g. trip expenses), the employer is obliged to compensate for those losses.

Leave must be postponed if the employee cannot start it due to a justified absence from work, such as:

• illness,
• isolation due to an infectious disease,
• being called up for military exercises,
• temporary arrest,
• the commencement of maternity leave.

After the justified absence ends, the employer sets a new leave date. It does not have to directly follow the end of the above situations.

Extraordinary circumstances may also occur after leave has already started. In that case, annual leave is interrupted and the remaining part must be granted later. However, already commenced leave is interrupted only in four cases: illness of the employee, isolation due to infectious disease, military exercises and the commencement of maternity leave.

Leave may also be interrupted due to the employee being recalled from leave by the employer. The employer may recall an employee from leave when their presence at work is required due to circumstances unforeseen at the time the leave began. After the recall, the employer must grant the remaining leave at a later date. In addition, if the employee incurs costs related to the recall (e.g. travel expenses), the employer is obliged to compensate for those losses.

Find more articles in PRO HR May 2026