Lithuania Employment Law

Employees are entitled to paid annual leave of 20 working days or 24 working days if working six days a week. One installment of annual leave may not be:

• • • Shorter than 10 working days;
    • Shorter than 12 working days (if an employee works 6 days per week).

Annual leave for the first working year is generally granted after six months of uninterrupted work at the enterprise. For the second and subsequent working years, annual leave is granted according to a schedule stipulated in a collective agreement or agreed upon by the employer and its employees. Certain categories of employees (e.g., women on maternity leave, minors) have the right to choose the time of their annual leave.

Public holidays falling within a period of annual leave are not counted as part of annual leave.

At the request of an employee, the time of work or the hours of overtime worked multiplied by the corresponding amount set cumulated by work or overtime work done on regular time, night time, holiday and rest may be added to the annual leave time. 

Carry Forward – If the worker is unable to take annual leave, the commencement of annual leave shall be postponed, but no longer than the end of the annual leave granted.  The annual leave not used by the worker shall be given to him by another time agreed between the parties, but during the same working year. The part of the annual leave to be renewed at the request of the employee may be transferred and added to the next annual leave of the year. Art 144, 128-130, 138 of Labor Code.

Expectant mothers are entitled to maternity leave of 70 calendar days before childbirth and 56 or (in the event of complicated confinement or birth of two or more children) 70 calendar days after. Employees who have been appointed guardians of newly born children are entitled to paid leave from the date guardianship is awarded until the child is 70 days old. Labor Code, 2016 (as amended), arts. 131-132.

Employee shall be granted 30 calendar days following the birth of a child uninterrupted parental leave.  It is paid by the Republic of Lithuania. Sickness and maternity social security benefits. Leave shall be granted at any time from birth to three months (in the case of complicated birth or birth)two or more children, from birth to six months). Labor Code, 2016 (as amended), arts. 133.

Male employees are eligible for 30 calendar days of continuous paid paternity leave until their child reaches one year old. These days can be split into a maximum of two parts as per the employee’s preference.

The decision regarding the approval of the paternity allowance must be made within 10 working days from the date of receiving the application along with all the required documents at the Sodra territorial department. The payment will be transferred to the employee’s specified personal account no later than 5 working days after the conclusion of the parental leave.

Pay: The employee is entitled to receive a benefit equal to 77.58% of their regular salary. Labor Code, 2016 (as amended), arts. 137.

For the first two days of absence, the sickness allowance is paid by the employer. The allowance may not be smaller than 80 percent or larger than 100 percent of the employee’s average monthly salary. From the third to the seventh day of absence, the sickness allowance is paid from the State Social Insurance Fund at 40 percent of the average monthly salary and from the eighth day at 80 percent until the employee is able to work or is declared disabled.

Each parent is entitled to 2 months (60 calendar days) of childcare leave until the child reaches either 18 or 24 months of age. This leave cannot be transferred to another person. The remaining childcare leave period can be utilized by either parents, grandparents, or other chosen relatives. The two non-transferable months can be taken all at once or divided into separate periods.

Both parents cannot be on childcare leave simultaneously. If one parent decides not to use their share of non-transferable leave, the total childcare leave period is adjusted accordingly.

The childcare allowance is provided from the end of pregnancy and maternity leave until the child turns 18 or 24 months old. The maximum duration of childcare leave can extend up to three years, but no benefits are paid during the third year.

Pay: During the non-transferable childcare months, an employee is entitled to receive 78% of their regular salary. This amount is calculated based on the person’s insured income received during the 12 consecutive months before the month preceding the entitlement month.

If childcare leave is chosen until the child turns 18 months, the childcare allowance will be 60%  of their regular salary. If childcare leave is chosen until the child turns 24 months, the childcare allowance will be 45% of their regular salary until the child reaches 12 months, and from 12 to 24 months, it will be 30% of their regular salary. Labor Code, 2016 (as amended), arts. 134.

An adoptive mother or father is entitled to three months’ childcare leave. Labor Code, 2016 (as amended), arts. 134.

For employees undergoing formal education programs in accordance with the following Certificates of study leave of the educational providers operating the programs:

• • • 3 calendar days each for the preparation and the taking of the regular examinations for the exam;
    • Preparation and holding of credit tests – 2 calendar days for each credit transfer;
    • Days for laboratory work and consultation, within the number of days prescribed for training plans and schedules;
    • Diploma (bachelor’s, master’s) thesis or doctoral dissertation or art project completion and defend – 30 calendar days;
    • To prepare for and take state (final) examinations – 6 each calendar day for each exam.

For staff participating in non-formal adult education programs, up to 5 working days a year of study leave to participate in non-formal learning in adult education programs.

For workers whose employment relationship with the employer lasts more than 5 years, the period of study leave given above- is 10 working days in any one working year if participation is not formalized. Labor Code, 2016 (as amended), arts. 135.

The employee may be granted, on the agreement, a creative leave of up to 12 months to create a work of art, a work of science. The remuneration for work and creative leave is governed by labor law and agreements between the parties. Labor Code, 2016 (as amended), arts. 136.

• • • Employee raising a child under fourteen years – up to 14 calendar days.
    • A disabled worker, as well as a worker raising a disabled child up to eighteen for a person with a disability who has been identified as having a permanent need for care – up to  30 calendar days
    • An employee caring for a sick family member – for such time as he/she recommends health care institution;
    • Employee given leave for marriage, up to 3 calendar days;
    • An employee to attend the funeral of a deceased family member – up to 5 calendar days
    • Unpaid leave of more than one working day (shift) may be taken provided at the request of the employee and with the consent of the employer.

Labor Code, 2016 (as amended), arts. 137.