“Taking Leave Will Become Mandatory,” Ruben Sargsyan

The new amendments to the Labor Code of Armenia will make taking leave mandatory. During a press conference in the Armenian Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Deputy Minister Ruben Sargsyan stated that if an employee avoids or refuses to take their entitled annual leave for two and a half consecutive years without submitting a request for leave, the employer can grant the leave without the employee’s request.

“According to the law, a request from the employee is necessary for taking leave, after which the employer grants the leave. There are numerous cases where the employee does not submit a request. They do not utilize the necessary time for recovery, which also affects work efficiency. We are now providing an opportunity that if an employee does not submit a leave request within 2.5 years, the employer can decide at their discretion when the employee will take their leave,” Sargsyan said.

It is also proposed that the employer should compensate the employee in cases where the employer has not provided leave for approximately two and a half years.