How Many Vacation Days Can You Roll Over in California?

By Anna Duncan

California is known for its amazing weather, beautiful beaches, and diverse culture. It’s no surprise that many people love living and working in this state!

One important aspect of work-life balance is vacation time, and it’s essential to know how much vacation time you can roll over from one year to the next. In this article, we’ll explore how many vacation days you can roll over in California.

California Labor Laws

Before we dive into the specifics of vacation time rollover, let’s take a moment to review some of the labor laws in California. California is an employee-friendly state with many labor laws designed to protect workers’ rights. Some of these laws include minimum wage requirements, overtime pay, and meal and rest breaks.

Vacation Time Rollover

In California, there is no law that requires employers to provide paid vacation time. However, if an employer does offer paid vacation time as part of their benefits package, they must follow certain rules regarding rollover.

According to California law, employers must allow employees to carry over up to 80 hours of unused vacation time from one year to the next. This means that if you have 120 hours of unused vacation time at the end of the year, you can only carry over 80 hours into the next year.

It’s important to note that this law only applies to “earned” vacation time. This means that employers can set a waiting period before employees can start accruing vacation time. For example, an employer might require employees to work for six months before they start accruing vacation time.

Use-It-or-Lose-It Policies

Some employers may have a use-it-or-lose-it policy regarding vacation time. This means that if you don’t use your earned vacation time by a certain date or within a certain timeframe (such as by the end of the year), you will lose it.

However, this type of policy is not allowed in California. Employers must allow employees to carry over up to 80 hours of earned vacation time, and they cannot force employees to forfeit their vacation time.

Final Thoughts

In summary, California employers must allow employees to carry over up to 80 hours of unused vacation time from one year to the next. Employers cannot force employees to forfeit their earned vacation time through a use-it-or-lose-it policy.

Understanding these laws is essential for maintaining work-life balance and ensuring that you receive the benefits that you are entitled to as an employee in California.