The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection is reforming how annual leave is calculated in the Republic of Moldova by switching the system from calendar days to working days and by eliminating certain additional leave benefits in the public sector.
Natalia Plugaru explained that the current minimum annual leave of 28 calendar days effectively corresponds to about 20–24 working days.
She noted that the current system includes different leave regimes depending on professional category, with extended entitlements for teachers, medical workers, persons with disabilities, military personnel, civil servants, prosecutors, and judges.
The ministry aims to standardise these rules in order to reduce disparities between public sector employees and simplify the overall framework. Plugaru stressed that the reform will not reduce the right to rest and confirmed that already accumulated leave days will remain valid.
“All leave rights accumulated up to 31 December 2026 will be fully preserved,” she said.
The new rules are scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2027.
The ministry estimates that harmonising leave regimes and removing certain seniority-based additional leave entitlements could reduce pressure on the public budget by up to 5% of the salary fund for the affected categories.