UAE onboarding, explained from both sides.

Leave Entitlements in the UAE Private Sector: An Employer's Guide

Under the UAE Labour Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021), private-sector employees are entitled to 30 days' paid annual leave after one year (accruing at 2 days per month between 6 and 12 months of service), up to 90 days' sick leave per year (15 days full pay, 30 days half pay, 45 days unpaid), and 60 days' maternity leave (45 days full pay, 15 days half pay). Both parents also get 5 working days' paid parental leave within six months of the birth, plus paid bereavement leave of 5 days for a spouse and 3 days for a close relative. These are federal minimums enforced by MOHRE; free zones such as DIFC and ADGM run their own employment laws that can differ.

1. 1Grant annual leave correctly by service length. Give 30 calendar days' fully paid annual leave once an employee completes one year of service. For staff who have passed 6 months but not yet a full year, accrue 2 days of leave for each month of service. Part-time staff accrue pro-rata based on the hours in their contract, per the Implementing Regulations.
2. 2Administer the 90-day sick-leave scale. After probation, allow up to 90 days' sick leave per year (continuous or intermittent): first 15 days at full pay, next 30 days at half pay, final 45 days unpaid. Require the employee to notify you within 3 days and submit a medical report from an authorised medical entity (Article 31). No paid sick leave accrues during probation, and pay can be refused if illness resulted from the employee's misconduct.
3. 3Manage the 60-day maternity entitlement and its extensions. Provide 60 days' maternity leave - 45 days full pay then 15 days half pay - with no minimum service required (Article 30). Leave can start up to 30 days before the expected delivery date. Allow up to 45 further unpaid days for a pregnancy/childbirth illness (medically certified), and 30 days full pay plus 30 days unpaid where the baby is born sick or with a disability. After return, give up to one paid hour of nursing breaks daily for 6 months.
4. 4Give both parents parental leave. Grant 5 working days of paid parental leave to either parent, taken any time from the birth up to the child's sixth month. This is separate from and additional to the mother's maternity leave.
5. 5Provide paid bereavement leave. Give 5 days' paid leave on the death of a spouse and 3 days' paid leave on the death of a parent, child, sibling, grandchild or grandparent, running from the date of death.

Fees and timelines vary by emirate, free zone and nationality - confirm the current figure with the regulator before you rely on it.