Annual leave is paid time off from work given to employees by their employers to be used for whatever the employee desires. A different number of days might be given depending on the employer's policy, and the employee may be expected to provide a certain amount of advance notice, communicate with the employer to ensure that staffing is properly protected during the employee's absence, and meet other criteria. The vast majority of countries now have a legal requirement for a minimum amount of paid annual leave, but the United States is an outlier in that it has no such requirement and treats paid leave as a privilege rather than a right.
Most countries have labor regulations requiring employers to provide employees with a minimum amount of paid vacation days each year. In Canada, at least two weeks are required; in the European Union, countries can set their own minimums, but they must be at least equal to four working weeks. In Australia, full-time work needs twenty annual leave days per year. Employers are not required by US law to provide paid vacation or holidays, and about 25% of all workers receive no paid vacation or holidays. Some countries, such as Denmark and Italy, or particular companies may mandate summer holidays in specific periods. Argentina's labor laws vary depending on whether you work for the government or for a private company. Vacation time for public employees ranges from a minimum of 21 days to a maximum of 45 days.
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