6 de May de 2024

Everything you need to know about legal holidays in Chile

Ah, vacations . That sweet moment we look forward to year after year. For many, a blessing, a benefit, a reward for hard work. Legally speaking, a right. For all these reasons and more, we'll tell you everything you need to know about legal vacations in Chile .

In the Chilean labor market, legal vacation time is a crucial aspect that guarantees the well-being and rest of workers. However, many face uncertainties about how to calculate or accumulate vacation days.

According to current legislation, employees with more than one year of service are entitled to fifteen working days of annual leave , during which they continue to receive their regular pay. In addition, Saturdays are not considered vacation days, but must be paid.

Furthermore, vacations must be taken continuously, unless there is an agreement between both parties to split them after the first 10 working days.

It is important to note that, according to the Labor Code, vacation time cannot be accumulated for more than two consecutive periods . An employee can have a maximum of two accumulated periods, and before completing the third year, they must take the vacation corresponding to the first period.

Legal holidays in Chile — Family on vacation.

How to calculate proportional days

To calculate proportional vacations, that is, for periods of work less than one year, it is necessary to multiply the vacation days by the proportion of days worked in the incomplete year .

In Chile, contract workers accrue 1.25 vacation days for each month worked . That is, if a person has worked 8 months, they accrue 10 vacation days.

It's important to note that the proportion is adjusted for months with fewer or more than 30 days. For example, in February, 30 working days are assigned if the employee works the entire month, even if it's a month with 28 or 29 days.

When are the winter holidays?

One of the best times left in 2024 to choose the dates of your next trip is during the winter school holidays .

According to the Ministry of Education (Mineduc), the winter holidays will begin on Monday, June 24th and will extend until Friday, July 5th , completing two weeks as usual, an ideal and sufficient time for a family vacation.

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Legal holidays in Chile: Take advantage of the holidays

On the other hand, many workers often combine their legal vacation days with one or more public holidays to extend their rest periods.

In the remainder of 2024, there are two long weekends and two holidays on Thursdays that can also be a great alternative to complement your legal vacation in Chile.

Tuesday, May 21 : Naval Glories Day
Sunday, June 9 : Primary Elections for Mayors and Governors (legal holiday for voting)
Thursday, June 20 : National Day of Indigenous Peoples
Saturday, June 29 : Saint Peter and Saint Paul
Tuesday, July 16 : Day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Thursday, August 15 : Assumption of the Virgin
Wednesday, September 18 : National Independence ( non-negotiable )
Thursday, September 19 : Army Day ( non-waivable )
Friday, September 20 : Added National Holiday
Saturday, October 12: Encounter of Two Worlds
Sunday, October 27: Municipal, Regional Council and Regional Governor Elections (legal holiday for voting)
Thursday, October 31 : Day of Evangelical Churches
Friday, November 1st : All Saints' Day
Sunday, December 8 : Immaculate Conception
Wednesday, December 25: Christmas (non-negotiable )