annual leave

Meaning

Annual leave refers to the paid time off work granted by an employer to employees each year for rest and recreation. It is a formal term used in workplace policies, contracts, and out-of-office emails. In casual conversation, people often just say 'paid time off' (PTO) or 'holiday'.

Examples

• I still have ten days of annual leave left to take before the end of the year.

  I still have ten days of annual leave left to take before the end of the year.

• Please submit your annual leave requests at least two weeks in advance.

  Please submit your annual leave requests at least two weeks in advance.

• She is currently on annual leave and will return to the office next Monday.

  She is currently on annual leave and will return to the office next Monday.

• Our company offers 25 days of paid annual leave plus public holidays.

  Our company offers 25 days of paid annual leave plus public holidays.

• I need to check my remaining annual leave balance before booking the flights.

  I need to check my remaining annual leave balance before booking the flights.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I am going to a yearly leave next week.

  ✓ I am going on annual leave next week.

  We use the preposition 'on' with 'leave', and the standard professional term is 'annual leave', not 'yearly leave'.

• ✗ He took an annual leave to visit his family.

  ✓ He took annual leave to visit his family.

  'Annual leave' is typically uncountable, so we do not use the indefinite article 'an' before it.

Related Expressions

Practice

• I'm planning to take two weeks of ___ in July to go to Spain.

  💡 Paid vacation days provided by your employer.

  Show answer

  annual leave

• While I am on ___, please contact Sarah for any urgent matters.

  💡 Time off from work.

  Show answer

  annual leave