According to Article 29 of UAE labor law, after one year of employment, every worker is entitled to a fully compensated yearly leave of thirty days.
Employee burnout is becoming more common as the workload grows. Annual leave allows you to get away from your high-pressure job atmosphere, recover, and perform at your highest level. This article presents a complete guide to annual leave in the UAE, assisting you in achieving a better work-life balance.
Employees who take annual leave receive paid time off from the workplace once a year, as specified in their job contract. Article 29 UAE labor law promises and prescribes thirty days of time off for employees who accomplish one year of employment.
Essential Considerations about UAE Labor Law Article 29
Starting your employment journey in the UAE, it is critical to comprehend the important features of Article 29 of UAE labor legislation. These are the significant principles of the UAE Labor Law regulating yearly leaves:
Time frame:
Every permanent staff member is entitled to fully compensated yearly leave for at least thirty days. Individuals who have completed six months are entitled to two days each month. Furthermore, if your employer ends your employment before you have used up your annual leave balance, you will get leave for a portion of your final year of service.
Notifying:
Employers are required by labor law to notify staff members of their annual leave a minimum of thirty days in advance so that workers may adequately plan their time off.
Adaptability:
With your UAE employer’s consent, you can roll over unused time off to the next year. If you have accumulated annual leave for more than two years, Article 29 UAE labor law allows you to obtain a cash reward rather than taking a holiday. This flexibility is beneficial to workers and the company.
Please note that:
The legislation also provides yearly leave to part-time employees. However, the duration is determined by the time spent working and the employer’s authority, as specified in the contract of hire. Workers in the UAE are entitled to a minimum of thirty days of paid yearly leave after one year of work.
Annual Leave During the First Year of Employment:
Workers who have worked for six months but not a full year are eligible for two days of paid leave every month.
Estimation of leave time frame:
According to UAE labor legislation, the period of yearly leave includes official holidays. Other leaves are triggered by illness if they occur during the yearly leave period. Unless the job contract or corporate standards state otherwise.
Transfer of Leftover Leave:
Article 29 UAE labor legislation emphasizes that workers should take their yearly leave within a year. There is no clear regulation that prohibits carrying over accumulated leave. The company’s own policies and procedures will govern whether unused leave may be carried over to the next year.
Compensation For Accumulated Leave:
The company should refund the worker at the end of the employment contract before they take their yearly break. Typically, payment is determined by the worker’s fundamental compensation.
Categories for Annual Leave in UAE According to the Labor Law
Article 29 UAE labor law includes several leave categories. These vacations are designed to address certain situations that may impact worker accessibility or productivity at work. Below are a few of the special leave categories:
Sabbatical Paid Leave
Sabbatical breaks, like annual leave, are compensated time off from employment. However, unlike annual leave, only Emirati employees are entitled to this leave. The sabbatical leave is typically associated with academics. However, it serves distinct purposes.
Educational Leave
Most employees, regardless of industry, want to advance in their careers. Continuing studies and personal growth are effective approaches for ensuring continual upward advancement, and workers in the UAE may follow this path as well. According to labor legislation, employees with at least two years of service can take 10 working days each year to appear for tests at verified UAE educational institutions.
Compassion Paid Leave
Death is a grief and painful occurrence that has a considerable effect on the emotional and physical health of individuals who are related to the departed ones. As a result, the UAE employment legislation allows employees to take time from work to mourn and make cremation or funeral preparations. In the event of a spouse’s death, it is five days, and the rest have three days from the day of death incident.
Pilgrimage and Umrah Leave
Pilgrimage is one of the most essential pillars of religion Islam, and every Muslim must experience it at least once throughout their lives. Islamic authorities see the pilgrimage as the most important expedition and a legitimate cause to take time from work in the UAE.
According to the UAE’s government official portal, private-sector manpower in UAE are allowed to take a maximum of thirty days off for the pilgrimage, which is unpaid and provided only once throughout their employment.
Please Note:
While Pilgrimage leave is mandated by law, Umrah does not have similar restrictions. Workers contemplating Umrah must either take an unpaid vacation or reduce the days from their yearly leave.
Maternity Paid Leave
Child Births, like funerals, are metamorphoses that have an impact on a parent’s emotional and physical health. It’s especially noticeable in women who suffer from critical conditions like hormone imbalances and anxiety. The UAE labor rules provide for sixty days of paid maternity leave for female workers, with forty-five days at full salary and fifteen days at half compensation.
If childbirth problems occur, an extra forty-five days of unpaid leave are allowed. Similarly, if the infant is unwell or disabled, the employer may provide a paid Thirty-day leave with the option to extend it for another thirty days without pay.
Parental Paid Leave
In a progressive move aimed at emphasizing its regional leadership, the UAE implemented parental leave, becoming the first Arab country to allow this leave.
The UAE labor legislation provides parents of newborn babies with a five-day fully compensated leave, which should be taken within six months of the child’s birth.
UAE National Holidays
The UAE labor law provides paid days off for national holidays specified by the government. Employers must compensate employees who work on certain holidays. This is accomplished by either providing a day off or paying at least 150 percent of the base compensation for the day.
Paid Leave For Illness
Workers in the UAE are entitled to a maximum of ninety days of sick leave each year, with full compensation for the first fifteen days. The following thirty days are half-paid, with the last forty-five days unpaid.
To acquire paid sick leave, workers must notify their company within three working days of being unwell and present acceptable medical evidence.
Conclusion
Article 29 of the UAE Labor Law provides important regulations governing manpower employee benefits. It highlights the right to annual, sick, and maternity leave, promoting staff wellness and work-life balance. Companies must follow these regulations and provide staff with the required leave benefits. Recognizing Article 29 is essential for companies and their staff. Employers must maintain compliance to avoid consequences from the law, and workers must understand their privileges and rights to ensure fair treatment and a positive atmosphere at work.
FAQS
Is annual time off in the UAE calculated on calendar days?
Annual leave rights in the UAE are based on calendar days rather than working days. For example, Article 29 of UAE labor rules provides staff who have completed one year of employment with a fully compensated thirty-day yearly leave.
Should the Employer decide when a worker’s leave will be received?
Yes, employers can set the commencement date for an annual leave. Employers may divide yearly leave into two distinct periods after reaching a contract with their staff.
Should workers decide when they intend to take their leave?
Workers in the UAE have the option of taking their required yearly leave. However, it is important to obtain approval from the employer. You can also check the hiring agreement and workplace regulations better to grasp your employer’s expectations for the leave schedule.
How do UAE public holidays affect a worker’s annual leave?
In the UAE, public holidays are often compensated days off for staff. So, if a holiday comes within an employee’s allowed leave period, it is included in the total amount of leave.
Should a staff member seek reimbursement for unused absences at the end of the job contract?
Yes. According to Article 29-8 of the UAE labor legislation, an employee may get remuneration for collected leave days if he leaves the work before utilizing them, regardless of the duration of the absence.
Should a worker take annual leave before reaching a year of service in the UAE?
Yes, if a staff member has worked for more than six months, he is entitled to two days off every month.
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