Reviewed: · Calcufast Team
How to calculate vacation pay
With average monthly earnings of Q5,000, estimated base pay for 15 working days is Q2,500. For six complete months, when employment ends, proportional compensation is estimated at Q1,250. Do not automatically add these amounts to an already-paid monthly salary: check how payroll records the leave.
Base pay = average monthly earnings ÷ 30 × 15
Estimated days = 15 × months / 12
Proportional pay = average monthly earnings ÷ 30 × estimated days
The tool estimates one period, not all unused leave in an employment relationship. For days or partial months, use exact payroll dates and leave records. Do not round proportional days to whole numbers before calculating pay.
What do I need to calculate vacation pay?
Have the applicable average salary and full months in the period ready. The tool calculates one reference period: it does not automatically add all unused vacation from your work history or convert partial months into exact days.
If employment is ending, review the date-based breakdown in the Guatemala settlement calculator. To check extra pay on your payslip separately, use Guatemala overtime.
Which earnings average to use
Article 134 of Guatemala's Labor Code includes ordinary and extraordinary earnings:
- Agricultural or livestock business: average over the last three months.
- Other activities: average over the last year.
- These periods are counted from when the right to leave is acquired; payment is due in advance.
For fixed earnings, the average may match your monthly salary. For commissions, overtime or changing earnings, calculate the average before entering it. Do not use take-home pay after IGSS or income-tax deductions. Identify non-salary payments separately; do not automatically add the Q250 incentive bonus.
Example including extraordinary earnings: Q4,000 per month for 12 months plus Q1,200 of extraordinary earnings in that year: (Q48,000 + Q1,200) ÷ 12 = Q4,100 average monthly earnings. For 15 days: Q4,100 ÷ 30 × 15 = Q2,050.
Examples to check your result
| Monthly average | Complete months | Estimated days | Base pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q5,000 | 12 | 15 | Q2,500.00 |
| Q5,000 | 6 | 7.5 | Q1,250.00 |
| Q5,000 | 3 | 3.75 | Q625.00 |
| Q4,100 | 12 | 15 | Q2,050.00 |
Periods shorter than a year in this table represent compensation on termination, not approval to take leave early.
Leave, working days and termination
Articles 130 and 131 establish 15 working days after each continuous year and at least 150 days worked during that year, counting the absences specified by law. Working half days does not automatically halve the 15-day entitlement. Working days depend on your schedule: Saturdays are not always excluded.
Article 132 requires the employer to schedule leave within 60 days after the completed year. This tool does not treat that deadline as a formula for double pay. If your employer fails to grant leave, seek labor advice for your case.
Article 133 regulates cash compensation when employment ends, including the proportional amount. Article 136 provides uninterrupted leave, the exception for splitting it into two parts for special work, and claims on termination for omitted leave from the last five years. Article 137 addresses written records.
Contractual 30% extra
A 30% extra is not a general statutory minimum in Guatemala. Use the checkbox only if that percentage is agreed for your case. On Q2,500 base pay, an agreed 30% extra would be Q750, making Q3,250 total. Leave it off if you do not have that benefit. If your agreement specifies another percentage, this option does not represent it.
Before checking or signing your settlement
- Check the earnings period applicable to your activity and the pay components included.
- Review leave records and payments already received to avoid duplication.
- Use your actual work schedule, not a universal Monday-to-Friday assumption.
- For suspensions, variable earnings, multiple omitted periods or disputed entitlement, review the records with the Labor Ministry or a professional.
Sources and related tools
- Labor Code, Decree 1441: articles 130–137 (government PDF, Spanish).
- Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare: guidance for individual cases.
- Guatemala settlement calculator: review termination components together.
- Guatemala Christmas bonus and Guatemala Bono 14: benefits separate from vacation pay.
This tool estimates pay using the earnings average you enter. It does not establish leave eligibility or replace a review of payroll records and your contract.