Medieval peasants enjoyed a surprising range of sick, annual and bereavement leave benefits

[DBoon]

In medieval England, peasants on some estates were entitled to a range of sick, annual and bereavement leave that could rival those of many workers in the UK today.

British workers are among the least likely in Europe to take sick leave, and lose an estimated 44 days' worth of productivity every year through working while sick. And although most workers are entitled to at least 28 days of annual leave, there is currently no statutory right for employees to take bereavement leave except after the loss of a child under the age of 18.

By comparison—as our new paper shows—peasants on the estate of Ramsey Abbey in Huntingdonshire, England, were entitled to up to a year and a day of leave from working on the lord's lands if they were sick. Meanwhile, widows were granted leave upon the death of their husbands and workers enjoyed plenty of religious feast days and festivals every year.

Not all peasants enjoyed the same level of benefits. Leave entitlements were negotiated between lords and their tenants. Practices, therefore, varied between manors across medieval England. Elsewhere, arrangements were less generous than on the Ramsey estate, and tenants were more generally entitled to a fortnight or month of sick leave.

https://phys.org/news/2025-11-medieval-peasants-enjoyed-range-sick.html

So paid sick leave is not a modern invention, and some 14th century peasants got an amount of sick leave that seems generous today.

The article uses contemporary British standards for comparison. In America, you could truthfully say our paid sick leave is worse than medieval.

[Norrrm]

1. And a small copay for a visit from the local bloodletter/leech medico.