leaves

[UAE Labour Law] Guide to Working Hours, Official Leaves, and Vacations

labour law work hours, leaves in uae

Thinking of living and building your career in the UAE? You have to understand that labour laws in your country may not necessarily be the same when you move in other places such as the UAE.

It is for this reason that we need to have a basic understanding of some of the laws concerning work in the UAE, such as those that deal with working hours, official heaves, and vacations, to name a few.

working hours in uae

[Guide] Things to Know About Working Hours, Official Leaves, and Vacations in the UAE

In this post, we will share some of the basic and useful guidelines as outlined by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE), formerly known as the Ministry of Labour.

Any type of job or legal work involves regular working hours, official leaves, and vacations. In the private sector, here is what the UAE Labour Law provides concerning these matters:

Working Hours

  • Regular work hours for employees is 8 hours per day or 48 hours per week (Article 65).
  • The work hours may be increased to 9 hours per day for businesses, cafés, and hotels – but this will require the approval from the MoHRE.
  • Working for more than 7 hours in a day is not allowed among jobs that require “heavy physical labour.”
  • Any job that demands working beyond prescribed working hours may be subject to overtime pay, itemized as follows:
    • Overtime pay should be equal to the rate for regular working hours, and an additional 25% of that amount. This may be increased up to 50% if overtime work was done between 9 pm and 4 am.
    • Regular work hours are reduced by two hours per day during Ramadan.

Official Leaves and Vacations    

  • In the UAE, Friday is the official weekend for employees, except for daily wage earners.
  • In the instance where a job requires overtime work on a Friday, the pay must be equal to the rate for regular working hours, and an additional increase of not less than 50% of that amount.

Public Holidays and Paid Leaves

Employees are entitled to paid leaves on public holidays listed below:

  • Hijri New Year (1 day)
  • Gregorian New Year (1 day)
  • Eid Al Fitr (2 days)
  • Waqfa Day and Eid Al Adha (3 days)
  • The Prophet Mohammed’s Birthday (1 day)
  • Ascension Day (1 day)
  • Martyr’s Day (1 day)
  • National Day (1 day)

Note: Other holidays not included in the above list would depend on official announcements released by concerned authorities. To get updates on upcoming public holiday announcements, be sure to check with official news sources to get alerts regarding this matter.

Annual Leaves, Sick Leaves, and Special Leaves

Outside public holidays, employees are entitled to annual paid leaves, sick leaves, and special leaves. Based on the UAE Labour Law, the provisions for these leaves are as follows:

  • Employees are granted two paid leaves for each month, provided that they have rendered a minimum service period of six (6) months and a maximum of one (1) year.
  • Annual leave of 30 days; provided that the employee has completed one (1) year of service.
  • Sick leave of not more than 90 days (3 months) per year, subject to the provisions specified in the law:
    • First 15 days – full payment
    • Succeeding 30 days – half pay
    • Remaining 45 days – no pay
  • Special leave of not more than 30 days, specifically for the performance of Hajj. Special leave is without pay, and is only granted once throughout the worker’s years of service.

Understanding these things will better equip for your journey in your career in the UAE. Remember though that updates may be released every now and then so be sure to check with the official authority in the UAE, the MoHRE, for concerns or questions that you may have regarding these matters.

ALSO READ: Employment Contracts in the UAE

Qatar Labour: Understanding Work Leaves and Vacations

qatar work leaves

Work leaves and vacations are filed by the employees when they need time for some particular important reasons. During these leaves, the work status of the employees will not be affected. According to Qatar Labor Law Articles 78 to 85, there are things to be considered such as the provisions on working hours when it comes to official leaves.

Also Read: Social Media Rules to Follow in Qatar

Be aware of the leaves and vacations that you can file and maximize your holidays to make the most of your employment.

qatar work leaves
Know the leaves and vacations you are entitled for as an expat worker in Qatar.

Work Leaves and Vacations in Qatar

Here is the list of employee’s official leaves in Qatar. Please be guided accordingly.

Annual Leave

Employees who filed annual leaves can still receive full wage.

  • Eid El-Fitr leave: 3 working days
  • Eid Al-Adha leave: 3 working days
  • Independence Day leave: 1 working day
  • An annual leave with pay (at least 3 weeks) can be filed by an employee if he has completed one but not more than five continuous years of service in his employer. Meanwhile, if an employee has already completed more than five years of service, he can file an annual leave with pay (at least 4 weeks).
  • In proportion of a worker’s period of service, he can be entitled to take a leave for the fraction of the year.
  • During the annual leave, the employer can:
  • Set the date of the annual leave of his employee in accordance with the work requirements.
  • Divide the leave that is not more than two periods, with the consent from the employee.
  • Postpone the annual leave of the employee with the written application of postponement by the employer. The postponement should not be more than half of the annual leave to the year following the year of its entitlement.
  • The entitlement of annual leave cannot be waived by the employee.
  • The employee is entitled to pay on his leave days if his contract is terminated before he could take his leave. The payment is equivalent to his wage on his period of leave.

Sick Leave

  • The employee can take his sick leave with pay yearly within the period of his service.
  • A medical certificate issued by a physician and approved by his employer should be provided by the employee for him to be entitled with sick leave.
  • The employee should be paid with full wage if his sickness did not exceed beyond two weeks. If it exceeds beyond four weeks, he should be paid with half of his wage. Finally, if the sickness was extended beyond the fourth week, he would not be paid with his wage anymore.
  • The employee will be terminated if the sick leave is extended upon its 14th It should be supported by a medical report issued by a physician indicating that employee cannot resume to his work at that moment.
  • The employee should be paid with the balance of his entitlement if he filed a resignation from work due to his sickness before the end of the 6 weeks to which he is given with a sick leave with pay. This should be issued with approval of a physician.
  • If the employee dies before the end of 6 weeks of sick leave, he should be paid with the balance of his entitlement. This should be issued with approval of a physician.

These provisions will not affect the continuous service of the employee on his work.

Leave for Muslim Employees

  • A Muslim employee can have a leave without pay, not exceeding two weeks to fulfil his duty once within the period of his service.
  • The employer has the authority to entitle his employees with leave, prioritizing those who have longer years of service.

Other Provisions

  • The employee is not permitted to work for another employer during his leave. If this happened and proven, the employer can deprive the wage of the employee for the leave period.
  • The employer is neither permitted to file termination for his employee nor notify him of termination during the leave period. If the notice period expires during the leave periods, it is not also permitted to be done by the employer.

Please be aware of your leaves and vacations that you are entitled to have in your employment. Use them wisely and take advantage of them.