Managing Leave for Yom Kippur & Rosh Hashanah

The High Holy Days

Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) are the two most sacred times of the year for Jewish people.

Unlike some festivals which are celebratory, Yom Kippur in particular is a solemn fast. Observant Jews are strictly forbidden from working, eating, drinking, or using electricity for 25 hours.

”It’s not a Bank Holiday”

A common friction point is that these days often land on ordinary weekdays in September or October.

• Employee Perspective: “I cannot work this day. It is a religious commandment.”
• Employer Perspective: “We are busy/short-staffed.”

Legal Standing

Refusing leave for Yom Kippur is high-risk. Because the prohibition on work is strict (a sin), refusing leave essentially forces the employee to choose between their job and their soul. This is indirect discrimination unless there is a monumental operational reason why that specific person must be there on that specific day.

Managing Conflicting Requests

If you have many Jewish employees, they may all request the same days off.

1. Plan Ahead: These dates are known years in advance. Put them in the team calendar early.
2. first-come-First-Served? Be careful. If a standard “holiday lottery” means a Jewish employee misses Yom Kippur while a non-Jewish employee gets a random Tuesday off for leisure, this is likely discriminatory.
   • Best Practice: Prioritise religious observation requests over general leisure requests where possible.

Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah is a 2-day festival. Work is also forbidden for observant Jews.

Note on Annual Leave: Employers are entitled to ask employees to use their annual leave allowance for these days. You do not have to give extra paid leave (unless your contract says so), but you should essentially always approve the leave request.