Two Israeli Premier League football players demanded from their teams, after their employment ended, payment for weekly rest indemnity on Saturdays, and redemption of vacation days.
The Labor Court held that the clubs do not need to pay for weekly rest indemnity and vacation redemption. Generally, the Israeli Wage Protection Law prohibits a salary that includes payment for weekly rest. However, in exceptional cases, a unique "industrial context" can be recognized, justifying a deviation from the rule, where the essence of the engagement revolves around work on the rest day, and the global salary reflects this. Additionally, the off-season period of football clubs is considered the actual utilization of vacation days. Here, the players received a high wage for work primarily on Saturdays, which is the essence of the engagement. Furthermore, they were on long breaks that exceeded the annual leave quota. Therefore, the clubs do not need to pay for Saturday indemnity and vacation redemption.