Vacation in the red — what workers sign before Sukkot
The share of companies sending employees on mandatory vacation for Sukkot 2026 has dropped to 37.4% — 18.5% lower than the 2021–2024 average. The reason is Operation Roar of the Lion and depleted vacation balances. Employers are asking workers to sign consent for a negative balance in 2027.
The share of companies in Israel sending employees on mandatory vacation for Sukkot 2026 has sharply dropped to 37.4%. This is 18.5% lower than the 2021–2024 average of 45.9%. The data was obtained by Oketz Maarachot, which analyzed about 50,000 pay slips across 450 organizations. The main reason is Operation Roar of the Lion: schools and kindergartens closed, leaving hundreds of thousands of parents at home with children. Many workers have exhausted their vacation days due to the war. According to data from July–August 2026, 55.4% of workers entered the summer vacation with a completely empty balance. The annual leave law allows employers to send employees on vacation with 14 days' notice, but only if they have a positive balance. Accountant Asaf Daniel explains: the law prohibits imposing a negative balance, but employers have found a loophole — they obtain written consent in advance. As a result, workers will enter 2027 with a deficit, and each accrued vacation day will first go to cover the debt to the employer.