The Brief:
We compared annual leave and public holidays across five global legal hubs.
When you line up total days off against post-tax earning power, the top city for lifestyle isn’t the one most lawyers expect.
Cities vary wildly in how much time off you get.
We know we’re sitting pretty in Sydney — or any Aussie city for that matter — with 20 days of annual leave entitlements locked in.
But how does that compare to other major hubs?
The US has no statutory minimum for annual leave. But before you rule out your stint at the Big Apple, most New York Big Law firms also offer 20 days.
Dubai grants 30 calendar days, which is equivalent to approximately 22 working days after excluding weekends. The Caymans go even further for lawyers, commonly offering 25 days of annual leave.
But nothing tops London. UK law gives employees 28 days of annual leave including bank holidays. But many top firms don’t count bank holidays within that 28. Others go further still, giving 25-30 days of annual leave excluding public holidays. Slaughter & May leads with 30 days plus bank holidays.
City | Statutory Minimum | Commonly Offered |
|---|---|---|
Sydney | 20 days | 20 days |
New York | 0 days | 20 days |
Dubai* | 22 days | 22 days |
Caymans | 10 days | 25 days |
London | 28 days** | 25-30 days |
* approximate figure based on 30 calendar days of leave.
** inclusive of 8 bank holidays.
When we factor in the public holidays, you might rethink whether you should hold out longer at your firm down under.
City | Public Holidays | Total Time Off |
|---|---|---|
Sydney | 11 days | 31 days |
Dubai* | 9 days | 31 days |
New York | 13 days | 33 days |
London | 8 days | 36 days** |
Caymans | 13 days | 38 days |
* Dubai’s public holidays change each year. In 2025, there were 13 public holidays, with 4 days falling on a weekend. Some public holidays observe the public holiday on the closest weekday if it falls on a weekend.
** Assumes 28 days annual leave exclusive of bank holidays.
Sydney and Dubai have the lowest total days off, with 31 days. Even New York edges out despite offering no statutory leave at all.
The island life on the Caymans gives you 38 days a year (though the Caymans scored an extra public holiday in 2025, courtesy of election day). That edges out London with a dismal eight public holidays for the year.
When you lay the numbers side by side, Sydney suddenly looks less like the safe bet. The Big Apple, with zero statutory rights, still ends up giving lawyers more days off than most. London wins on pure guaranteed leave, but the Caymans quietly takes the crown on total downtime.
And when you stack this against the post-tax earning power we broke down earlier, the picture gets even more interesting: the best-paid city isn’t always the one that gives you the most time off.