UAE Maternity, Parental & Sick Leave Calculator

Article 32 provides 5 working days of paid parental leave to the worker who has a newly born child. It is available to either the father or mother and can be taken continuously or intermittently within 6 months from the date of the child’s birth.

After probation, Article 31 allows up to 90 continuous or intermittent sick-leave days per year: the first 15 days at full pay, the next 30 days at half pay and the remaining period unpaid. During probation there is no statutory paid sick leave, although an employer may grant unpaid leave based on the required medical report.

A female worker may not be terminated or given notice because of pregnancy, maternity leave or an absence protected by Article 30. For sick leave, the employer may not dismiss the employee or give a termination notice while the employee is on sick leave; however, after the statutory sick-leave period is completed, the employer may terminate if the employee remains unable to return to work and all legal entitlements are paid. Article 35 also provides that, where termination is initiated during leave, the contractual notice period generally begins only after the scheduled return date unless both parties agree otherwise.

Yes. After returning from maternity leave, a female worker is entitled to one or two breastfeeding breaks per day for a period of no more than 6 months from the date of delivery, provided the total duration of the breaks does not exceed one hour per day.

Article 32 states that a worker enrolled in or regularly studying at an educational institution approved in the UAE may be granted up to 10 working days of study leave per year to sit examinations, provided the worker has at least 2 years of service with the employer. The wording is “may be granted”, so this should not be presented as an unconditional automatic entitlement.