VoxxArrive · UAE onboarding topic
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.
Steps
- Grant 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.
- Administer 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.
- Manage 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.
- Give 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.
- Provide 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.
- Check your jurisdiction and document the policy - Confirm whether you sit on the mainland (MOHRE / Decree-Law 33) or in a free zone such as DIFC or ADGM, which apply their own employment laws with different figures. Set out each entitlement in the contract and staff handbook, and keep medical certificates and leave records to evidence compliance.
Timeline
These are standing entitlements rather than a one-off process. Annual leave begins accruing after 6 months (2 days/month) and reaches the full 30-day entitlement at 12 months. Sick and maternity leave are available per year of service (maternity from day one, no minimum service). Parental leave must be used within 6 months of the birth; nursing breaks apply for 6 months after delivery.
Cost & fees
There is no government fee for granting statutory leave - the cost to the employer is the continued wage paid during paid-leave days (full pay, half pay or unpaid as set out per leave type). Figures quoted are federal minimums under Decree-Law 33 of 2021; an employer may offer more, and free zones (DIFC, ADGM) set their own entitlements.
Your task slice
2 of the 57 onboarding tasks apply here.
Brief employee on working hours, breaks, overtime, and leave policy
Explain leave entitlements (annual, sick, parental) and how to request leave
Some figures on this page vary by jurisdiction, zone or nationality, or could not be independently confirmed from a public source at time of writing - confirm the current figure with the regulator before relying on it.
Sources
- UAE Government portal (u.ae) - Annual leave, private sector
- UAE Government portal (u.ae) - Sick leave, private sector (Article 31)
- UAE Government portal (u.ae) - Maternity leave, private sector (Article 30)
- UAE Government portal (u.ae) - Parental leave, private sector
- UAE Government portal (u.ae) - Compassionate (bereavement) leave, private sector
- MOHRE - Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Employment Relationships (full text PDF)
Frequently asked
Does maternity leave require a minimum period of service?
No. The 60-day maternity entitlement (45 days full pay, 15 days half pay) applies from the first day of employment - there is no qualifying service period under Article 30 of Decree-Law 33 of 2021.
Is sick leave paid during probation?
No. An employee on probation is not entitled to paid sick leave, although the employer may grant unpaid leave supported by a medical report from an authorised provider. The full 90-day paid/half-paid/unpaid scale applies after probation.
Can we dismiss someone who is off sick?
You cannot terminate an employee during their sick leave. If the employee exhausts the full 90 days and still cannot return to work, employment may then be ended, with end-of-service benefits paid as due under the law.
Is parental leave only for fathers?
No. Parental leave of 5 working days is available to both the mother and the father, taken any time within the first six months after the birth. For the mother it is in addition to her maternity leave.
Do these figures apply inside free zones like DIFC or ADGM?
Not automatically. DIFC and ADGM operate their own employment laws with their own leave entitlements, which can differ from the federal Decree-Law 33 figures. Confirm which regime governs your entity before applying these numbers.