Havraa payments set to rise for millions of Israeli workers

The Histadrut and the Federation of the Business Sector signed a new agreement on Monday to raise “dmei havraa,” the annual vacation allowance paid to workers in Israel. The change comes after two years in which the rates were frozen, and during that period one havraa day was also cut as part of war-funding measures.

Under the deal, private-sector workers will receive 451.5 shekels per havraa day, up from 418 shekels. In the public sector, the rate will rise to 511.6 shekels per day from 471.4 shekels. The increase is expected to add hundreds of shekels a year for employees, depending on how many havraa days they are entitled to based on seniority.

An estimated three million workers are expected to benefit from the update. For the agreement to apply to all employees and employers nationwide, it still needs approval from the Labor Ministry and the signing of an extension order.

Even if that process is delayed, people involved in the deal say the extra money should be paid this year anyway. In most workplaces, havraa payments are made in June and July, sometimes as late as September, so some workers could see the higher amount in their next payslip. If approval comes later, the difference will be paid retroactively after the agreement is finalized.