The Minimum K-15 Holiday Bonus in the Private Sector Is Around 19,415 Denars Under the New Base - But It's Not the Same for Everyone

The average net wage in August was 48,733 denars, 7.6 percent more than in August last year, the State Statistical Office reported. The gross wage reached 73,336 denars. The annual growth is driven mostly by water supply and waste management (11.9%), administrative and support services (10.7%) and manufacturing (9%).

That figure also determines the annual leave bonus, known in Macedonia as K-15. In the private sector the minimum is 40 percent of the average net wage for the last three months before payment. The average for June, July and August is 48,537.67 denars, so the minimum K-15 for payments calculated on this base comes to around 19,415 denars.

"Around" is the key word. The amount is not the same for everyone: it depends on the base in force on the day the company makes the payment decision. That is why workers at different companies can get different sums for the same bonus. Employers may pay more, and the collective agreement, under certain conditions, even allows a lower amount when a company is in economic and financial difficulty.

Anyone who has at least six months of uninterrupted employment with the same employer during the calendar year is entitled to K-15, regardless of whether they have already taken their holiday. Payments started on July 1, and the final deadline is December 31. Companies that do not pay face fines, and an employer who pays the bonus and then forces the worker to hand the money back in cash faces, under the conditions set by law, up to a year in prison.

In the public sector the 2026 bonus is over 13,000 denars, calculated as 30 percent of the previous year's average wage. There are still two months until the deadline. If the bonus has not landed in your account, the union and the labour relations authorities are the place to ask. Will the inspectors actually check before December 31 - or only once someone files a complaint?