Yes. Probation is a status within an ongoing employment relationship — not a separate category of employment. Leave accrues from an employee's first day, whether or not they are on probation.
Annual leave accrues at 1.25 days per month (15 working days per year) from the first day of employment. A probationary employee builds up leave exactly like a confirmed employee — there's no waiting period or reduced rate during probation.
Sick leave has its own rule that applies to every new employee, not just those on probation: in the first 6 months of employment, an employee is entitled to 1 day of paid sick leave for every 26 days worked. After 6 months, they move onto the standard 3-year sick leave cycle (30 days per cycle). This rule exists regardless of probation status — it's about length of service, not probationary status.
An employer can manage when leave is taken (for operational reasons) but cannot refuse to let a probationary employee accrue or eventually take earned leave. Employers sometimes prefer probationary employees not take annual leave in the first few months for practical reasons, but this is a scheduling decision, not a legal restriction.
Whatever annual leave has accrued but not been taken must still be paid out on termination — see our Final Payslip Guide. Unused sick leave, however, is never paid out, probation or not.
Yes. Annual leave and sick leave accrue from an employee's first day of employment under the BCEA, regardless of probationary status.
No — the first-6-months sick leave rule (1 day per 26 days worked) applies to every new employee, not specifically those on probation.
An employer can manage when leave is taken for operational reasons, but cannot refuse to let leave accrue or eventually be taken.
TSS Payroll starts accruing leave from an employee's first day automatically — no manual tracking, no disputes.
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