Sunday, February 05, 2006

UAE labour law regarding official holidays

According to Al Tamimi's publication, Labour Law in the UAE (pdf)

Quote:
An employee is entitled to an official holiday with full wage on the following occasions:
Occasion Time Off
1. Hijri New Year’s Day one day
2. Gregorian New Year’s Day one day
3. Eid Al Fitr (end of Ramadan) two days
4. Eid Al Adha and Waqf three days
5. Prophet Mohammed’s Birthday one day
6. Isra and Al Miraj one day
7. National Day one day

The holidays listed above are applicable to all employees whether they are working in the public or private sectors. However, public sector employees may be granted additional days off to those specified on the above occasions, which are announced from time to time.

It is therefore open to private sector employees to grant their employees a holiday on the above occasions or to pay them instead. The date(s) on which the above official holidays fall depend on the Ministry’s announcements, which are published in the local newspapers shortly before they occur.
Since the law stipulates a paid holiday, I presume that the worker gets paid double for the day if the employer chooses not to grant the holiday. What happens when the holiday falls on a regular day off?

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Advise, anyone? no holidays given nor double pay received.. even most are working 8 regular working hours during ramadan, others even 12.

12:15 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

great post thanks for sharing keep it up Gulf Job Sites

7:11 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home