A comprehensive UAE leave policy covering annual, sick, maternity, paternity, Hajj, bereavement, and study leave — aligned to UAE Labour Law and ready to adapt to your company's workforce.
Leave is the second most common UAE HR dispute after EOS gratuity. A written policy that explicitly references Articles 29–33 of UAE Labour Law eliminates 'but the previous manager said…' arguments and gives MoHRE a clear document if a dispute escalates.
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LEAVE POLICY [COMPANY NAME] 1. ANNUAL LEAVE - Entitlement: 30 calendar days per year of service, after the first 6 months - Pro-rated for part-year employees and new hires - Accrual: monthly (2.5 calendar days per month worked) - Carry-forward: up to 30 days; balances above lapse at year-end unless encashed - Encashment at separation: paid at basic + housing daily rate 2. SICK LEAVE (Article 31) After completion of probation, sick leave entitlement per year is: - First 15 days: fully paid - Next 30 days: half-paid - Final 45 days: unpaid A medical certificate from a UAE-licensed practitioner is required for absences exceeding 2 consecutive days. 3. MATERNITY LEAVE (Article 30) - 60 calendar days: 45 fully paid + 15 half-paid - An additional 45 days unpaid available if a documented medical condition exists - Employee can take up to 30 days fully paid for a sick infant - Right to two 30-minute lactation breaks for 6 months post-return 4. PATERNITY LEAVE (Article 32) - 5 working days, taken within 6 months of birth - Fully paid 5. HAJJ LEAVE (Article 33) - Up to 30 days, unpaid - Available once during total employment with the Company - Requires at least 2 years of service before eligibility 6. BEREAVEMENT LEAVE - 5 calendar days on death of spouse - 3 calendar days on death of parent, child, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild 7. STUDY LEAVE - 10 working days per year for employees pursuing approved degrees, with 2+ years of service 8. UAE PUBLIC HOLIDAYS The Company observes all public holidays gazetted by the UAE Cabinet, including: - New Year's Day - Eid Al-Fitr (3 days) - Arafah Day + Eid Al-Adha (4 days) - Hijri New Year - Prophet Muhammad's Birthday (Mawlid) - Commemoration Day (1 December) - UAE National Day (2–3 December) 9. UNAUTHORIZED ABSENCE Three (3) consecutive working days of absence without notification, or seven (7) total non-consecutive working days in a year, may trigger termination for cause under Article 44(7) of UAE Labour Law. 10. APPROVAL WORKFLOW - Annual leave: 14 days' advance notice, manager approval required - Sick leave: notify on the same day; medical certificate within 48 hours for 2+ days - Maternity / paternity: 30 days' advance notice with hospital documentation - Hajj: at least 60 days' advance notice with travel documentation
30 CALENDAR days per Article 29 of UAE Labour Law. Working-day calculation is a common but incorrect interpretation — a 5-day workweek nets out to ~22 working days of actual leave consumed when 30 calendar days are granted.
Yes. Under Article 29, public holidays falling within an annual-leave period are not counted as annual leave; they are added on top.
Article 31 states sick leave kicks in only after probation. During probation, time off for illness is unpaid unless the contract or policy provides otherwise.
No. Hajj leave is a one-time entitlement during total employment with the same employer. Subsequent Hajj trips would need to come out of annual leave or unpaid leave.
UAE leave entitlements span multiple statutory categories with different rules, durations, and qualifying conditions — annual leave, sick leave, maternity, paternity, bereavement, study leave, Hajj leave, and others. Without a written policy that consolidates these into a single reference document, each leave request becomes a research exercise for HR and an ambiguity for the employee. A clear policy supports consistent application, reduces disputes, and provides defensible documentation for any subsequent labour-court matter. The template here covers all major leave categories under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 and provides space for employer-specific enhancements.
Article 29 entitles full-year-of-service employees to 30 calendar days of annual leave per year, accrued at 2 days per month for partial-year service. Unlike federal-jurisdiction US employees, UAE annual leave is mandatorily paid at full wages, including basic plus housing allowance (per Article 29(3)) and other contracted allowances per the registered MoHRE contract. Employees can carry forward up to 30 days per year unless explicitly limited by employer policy; encashment of accrued unused leave at separation is mandatory. The policy should specify (1) Maximum carry-forward (most employers cap at 30-60 days). (2) Approval workflow and advance-notice requirements. (3) Whether leave during probation accrues but is taken only post-probation, or accrues and is takeable during probation. (4) Encashment treatment at separation. (5) Public-holiday treatment when holidays fall during leave (typically not counted as leave days).
Article 31 provides 90 days of sick leave per year structured as 15 days fully paid, 30 days half-paid, and 45 days unpaid (provided medical certification). Sick leave is only available after probation completion — during probation, illness-related absence is typically unpaid unless employer policy provides otherwise. Medical certification from a UAE-licensed medical practitioner is generally required for sick leave beyond 1-2 days. The policy should clarify (1) Notification procedures (typically same-day notification to manager). (2) Medical certification requirements (typically required for absences of 2+ days). (3) Long-term illness procedures (continued employment vs medical separation). (4) Interaction with annual leave (employees may want to use annual leave to extend paid period). (5) Coordination with health insurance and treatment access.
The 2021 law materially expanded family leave entitlements. (1) **Maternity leave** under Article 30 — 60 days total: 45 days fully paid plus 15 days half-paid for employees with at least one year of service; reduced for shorter service. Additional 30 days unpaid available for medical complications with appropriate certification. After return, mothers are entitled to 1 hour per day for breastfeeding for 6 months. (2) **Paternity leave** — 5 working days within 6 months following birth, fully paid. (3) **Parental leave** for non-biological parents (adoption, fostering) varies by employer policy. (4) **Termination protections** — pregnant employees and employees on maternity leave have specific protections under Article 30; termination during pregnancy or maternity on grounds related to pregnancy is prohibited.
(1) **Bereavement leave** under Article 32 — 5 days for spouse death; 3 days for parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild. (2) **Hajj leave** — Article 32 provides up to 30 days unpaid leave to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, available once during total employment with the same employer. Some progressive employers convert this to paid leave or provide additional financial support. (3) **Study leave** — 10 working days per year for employees with 2+ years of service who are pursuing UAE-accredited education programmes. (4) **Sabbatical leave** — typically employer-policy driven for senior or long-tenured employees. The policy should clearly document each category's qualifying conditions, application process, and pay treatment.
UAE public holidays include Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha, Islamic New Year, Prophet Muhammad's Birthday, Commemoration Day, UAE National Day, and others. The federal government announces specific dates each year. The policy should specify (1) That public-holiday leave is in addition to annual leave. (2) Coverage during Ramadan when Article 65 reduces working hours by 2 per day. (3) Treatment when the employee is required to work a public holiday (typically 150% of regular pay or substitute time off). (4) Any company-specific holidays (founder's day, anniversary, etc.) beyond statutory minimums. (5) Religious-leave provisions for employees observing non-public-holiday religious dates.
Customisation points include (1) Annual-leave enhancement above the 30-day statutory floor (some senior roles get 35-40 days). (2) Carry-forward and encashment specifics. (3) Sick-leave procedures including medical-certification thresholds. (4) Paternity-leave enhancement (some employers offer 10-15 days). (5) Bereavement-leave scope (extended to in-laws or other relatives by some employers). (6) Hajj-leave conversion to paid (a popular benefit). (7) Study-leave application process. (8) Sabbatical eligibility for long-tenured employees. (9) Approval workflow tiers (manager-only for short, HR + manager for longer). (10) Documentation and record-keeping requirements. (11) Multi-jurisdiction adjustments for DIFC / ADGM employees following different rules. UAE employment counsel review for compliance before rollout.
Peoplifi generates UAE-compliant offer letters, warning letters, and policy packs from your employee data in one click — referenced against the Standing Orders Ordinance and applicable provincial law, with no copy-pasting and no version drift.