A Complete Guide on Annual Leave in UAE 2024
The Labour Department of UAE has created Annual Leave Policy to provide 30 days off to all employees. The purpose of Annual Leave Policy in UAE is to give you a break from work to get rest at home, spend time with your family, go out on a trip with friends/family, meet relatives and attending wedding or other occasions.
If you work in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or other parts of the UAE, you are eligible to get annual leave for 30 days in a year if you are a full-time worker and have completed minimum one year of service.
Article 29 Labour Law Rules on Annual Leave in UAE
Every employee in UAE is entitled for Annual Leave under Article 29 of the Federal Decree-Law No.33 of 2021. Here I am sharing some important points about the Annual Leave Policy in UAE.
[A] Duration of Annual Leave in UAE:
- According to the UAE Labour Law, an employee is entitled for 30 days of annual leave if s/he has completed a minimum of one year of service.
- If an employee has completed six months of service, s/he is entitled for 2 days of annual leave per month.
[B] Employer’s Duty to Notify the Employee:
- The employer must notify an employee minimum one month before the employee becomes eligible for the annual leave. It helps the employee to get one or more days-off with a proper plan.
[C] Carry Forward Unused Annual Leave(s):
- The UAE Labour Law Article 29 states that the employee can either carry forward the unused annual leaves or agree to receive a cash allowance for those leaves.
- If an employee has one or more unused annual leave days, s/he can carry forward these leaves to the next year with the consent & approval of the employer.
- The employee cannot carry forward more than half of annual leaves and the carry forward of annual leaves is allowed up to two years.
[D] Annual Leave for Part-time Workers in UAE:
- According to the UAE Labour Law, part-time workers/employees are also entitled for annual leave. However, the duration (number of leaves) is decided by the employer and must be clearly mentioned in the employment contract.
Is Annual Leave Paid in UAE?
Yes, Annual Leave is fully paid in UAE. It means the employer does not deduct any amount from your salary for this leave.
The company/employer has to follow the labour law guidelines and pay a full salary to the employees for all annual leave days. The Annual Leave is paid but the employer can refuse to pay if the employee takes a day off without notifying the employer.
Application to Get Annual Leave in UAE
Each annual leave is fully paid and there is a proper procedure to request the employer for an annual leave. Kindly check the steps given below to know how to apply for an annual leave in UAE.
- Write an Email to the Employer or HR Officer of the company.
- Keep the subject very clear as Request for Annual Leave or _ Days.
- Start the email message with Respected Sir/Ma’am.
- Write down about your purpose of taking the annual leave and stay professional with your words.
- Write the number of days of your annual leave and clearly mention the from and to dates of your leave period.
- Provide your contact details during the leave days if your current phone/email will remain off in the leave period.
- Provide your pending work information to inform your HR/employer before you take the leave.
- Attach necessary documents, if needed, to take the leave.
- Express gratitude towards the HR/employer to consider and approve your leave request.
- Send the email to the HR and wait for the approval.
In this way, you should write your application to get the annual leave for one or more days from your employer. Write the email in the professional manner and stay polite & respectful with your words.
Types of Leaves in UAE
There are different types of leaves available for employees working in UAE. Each type of leave is stated in the Labour Law, read ahead to learn more about it.
#1. Public Holidays and National Holidays
The Article 28 of the Federal Decree-Law states that every employee is entitled to get a day-off on all public holidays and national holidays declared by the UAE Cabinet.
The public holidays are fully paid and these days are not counted in the Annual Leave of the employee. To know more about public/national holidays, you can check the List of Public Holidays in UAE here.
#2. Sick Leave
According to Article 31 of Federal Decree-Law No.33, an employee is entitled to get up to 90 days of sick leave in a year. Out of 90 days, the first 15 days are fully paid, next 30 days are half-paid and remaining 45 days are unpaid.
In order to get the sick leave, the employee must inform the employer about his/her illness in 3 working days from falling ill. In addition, the employee has to provide a valid medical certificate and other documents to the employer.
#3. Maternity Leave
The Federal Decree-Law No.33, Article 30 entitles a woman employee in UAE to get the maternity leave of 60 days. Out of 60 days, first 45 days are fully paid and remaining 15 days are half-paid.
During or after childbirth, if the woman (mother) faces complications, she can get an additional leave of 45 days. This leave will be unpaid and the woman employee is entitled to get it for her health recovery.
After childbirth, if the baby is sick or has a disability, the woman is entitled to get 30 days of paid leave after her maternity leave is over. This leave can be extended for another 30 days which will be unpaid.
The woman employee can join her job again after her maternity leave is over. Thereafter she is entitled to get one or two breaks in a day for nursing (breastfeeding) her baby. These breaks are fully paid and allowed up to 6 months.
#4. Paternity Leave or Parental Leave
The Article 32 of the Federal Decree-Law No.33 grants the full paid leave of 5 days to the male employee when he becomes father. If the employee does not take 5 days off at the time of childbirth, he can take it later in first 6 months.
#5. Compassionate Leave or Bereavement Leave
The Article 32 of Federal Decree-Law No.33 states that an employee is entitled to get 5 days of fully paid leave if his/her spouse dies. In case of death of the employee’s child or sibling or a parent/grandparent, the employee gets a leave of 3 days.
The UAE Government understands that death of a loved one affect the physical and mental states of every person. Therefore it provides fully paid leave of 3 to 5 days to the employee so that s/he can share the sorrow/pain with relatives and do arrangements for the burial or cremation of the deceased person.
#6. Study Leave
Every employee has an aim to grow in the career. Further studies can help an employee to improve knowledge and develop new skills to get a better job position in future.
The Article 32 of the Federal Decree-Law grants 10 days of study leave to all the employees who have completed minimum 2 years of service. The study leave is granted for sitting in the examination.
#7. Hajj and Umrah Leave
The Pilgrimage to Makkah (known as Hajj) is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and the UAE Government has a special provision for it. All employees working in any sector in UAE are entitled for 30 days of Hajj Leave and the employer has to approve it.
The employee must discuss with the employer before planning a Hajj Leave and booking tickets. Prior discussion helps to avoid disputes regarding the leave between the employee and the employer.
The employee can get the Hajj Leave only once in a lifetime and this leave is unpaid. On the other hand, there is No provision for Umrah Leave in UAE.
The employee can apply for the Umrah Leave but the employer may approve or reject the leave request. Even if the employer approves the Umrah Leave, it will be unpaid.
The employee can arrange the Umrah Leave by adjusting it with Annual Leave and Public Holidays.
#8. Sabbatical Leave or Academia Leave
The Sabbatical Leave is related to the National Service. Only Emirati Citizens are entitled for Sabbatical Leave in UAE. The Article 32 of Federal Decree-Law No.33 grants an employee get the sabbatical leave of minimum 11 months and maximum 3 years.
The sabbatical leave is fully paid and it is approved only if the employee provides valid documents for it. The National Service is mandatory for male employees and voluntary for female employees.
So, these are the different types of leaves that UAE employees/workers get mostly as fully paid and unpaid in some cases.
Conclusion
Every Employee working in UAE must have enough knowledge about the Annual Leave Policy. Therefore I have shared everything about Annual Leave and its rules for the employee as well as the employer. I have also explained the types of leaves and their provisions stated by the Federal Decree-Law, UAE Labour Department.
In case you have queries, ask me in the comment section. I suggest you to refer the frequently asked questions and answers given below to know more about Annual Leave in UAE and All Types of Leave granted to the employees working in United Arab Emirates.
FAQs about Annual Leave in UAE
Is a public holiday a part of annual leaves in UAE?
No, a public holiday is not a part of annual leaves in UAE. Every employee is entitled to get a day-off on every public holiday and it is fully paid.
Can the employer prevent an employee from taking an annual leave?
No, the employer cannot prevent an employee from taking an annual leave but the employer can ask to postpone it for a few days if there is a heavy workload.
Can I receive an extra salary for unused annual leaves?
Yes, you can receive extra salary for unused annual leaves if the employer agrees for it. Many employees prefer to encash their unused leaves to earn more money in UAE.
How many annual leaves do I get in UAE?
You can get 30 days of annual leave in UAE after completing one year of service with an employer/company.
Are annual leaves paid in UAE?
Yes, all annual leaves are paid in UAE and the employer must pay full salary for each annual leave taken by the employee.
