Welcome to Israel!

Workers are classified as exempt or non-exempt from overtime depending upon their category. Very few employees qualify as exempt.

Fixed-term contracts are permitted in Israel. If they are terminated before the end of the fixed-term, the Worker may be entitled to their salary for the remainder of the term.

Probationary periods are permitted in Israel and are generally between one and twelve months. During the probationary period, statutory written notice is still required to terminate. The required notice for monthly-paid Workers is one day for each month during the first six months and two-and-a-half days for every additional month. During a probationary period, the reasons for termination are assessed more leniently.

In Israel, Workers recognize 9 public holidays. Workers are entitled to 250% of their salary if required to work on a public holiday. In addition, Workers must not be required to work more than 7 hours on the eve before a public holiday.

Workers are entitled to a minimum of 12 days’ vacation per year for the first five years of employment (increasing thereafter), which accrues each month. At least 7 of the days must be taken each year and, at the employer’s consent, the remainder can carry over for use over the subsequent two years of employment. Accrued but unused leave is payable at termination.

Workers accrue at least 1.5 days of paid sick leave per month, totaling at least 18 days per year. Sick leave may be used for oneself or a family member. The first day of illness is unpaid. The second day is paid at 50% of the regular salary. Any remaining days of illness are paid at 100% of the regular salary.

A typical workweek in Israel is from Sunday to Thursday, 8.6 hours per day for four days and 7.6 hours per day on one day. The law mandates that Workers be provided at least 8 hours of rest between workdays and 36 consecutive hours of rest between workweeks. Jewish Workers must be allowed Saturday among their weekly days of rest. All other Workers may select from Friday, Saturday, or Sunday as their rest days.

Overtime over the regular daily hours noted above or 42 hours per week is considered overtime. Workers cannot be required to work more than 12 hours per day and/or 16 hours of overtime per week. The first two hours of overtime must be paid at 125% of salary and the remainder at 150%. The following categories of Workers are exempt from overtime: managers, those whose duties require a special fiduciary relationship, and those whose hours cannot be supervised.

Convalescence Pay is required once a year and generally paid in July or August. The amount owed depends on the Worker's length of service; 0 - 1 year: 5 days' pay; 2 - 3 years: 6 days pay; 4 - 10 years: 7 days' pay; 11 - 15 years: 8 days' pay.

A termination is only lawful with (a) 30 days’ notice or pay in lieu of notice (unless the Worker was employed for less than one year) as well as (b) a meeting with the Worker to allow them to air any grievances. Some groups of Workers are protected from dismissal for any reason. Those groups include pregnant women, women within the first 60 days of work after maternity leave, women staying in shelters for abused women, men who have been called up for military service, Workers on sick leave, Workers undergoing infertility treatment, and bereaved families. The only way to terminate a Worker when dismissal is forbidden is to obtain a permit from the government. Lawfully terminated Workers who have been employed for longer than one year are entitled to severance pay equal to at least one month’s salary for each year of severance.

Workers are required to give 30 days' notice of resignation.