Dubai: Feeling unwell and need to take time off work? The UAE Labour Law – Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 – sets out in detail when private sector employees can take sick leave, what their salary entitlements are and situations when they might lose the right to take paid sick days.Here are five important rules every employee should know.1. You must inform your employer within three working daysAccording to Article 31(1) of the UAE Labour Law, if a worker suffers from a health condition he or she is required to inform the employer within a maximum of three working days, and submit a medical report, issued by a licensed medical entity.2. Sick leave during probation is unpaidWorkers are not entitled to a paid sick leave during the probationary period. However, Article 31 (2) of the UAE Labour Law states that an employer may grant an unpaid sick leave, based on a medical report issued by a licensed medical institution.3. You can take up to 90 days of sick leaveUAE private sector workers who have completed their probation are entitled to a sick leave of up to 90 days, which can be taken as a continuous stretch or intermittently during a year.The sick leave pay is calculated as follows:The first 15 days with full pay.The following 30 days with half pay.The following period unpaid.However, Article 31 (3) also states that the worker is not entitled to a wage for the sick leave if the sickness resulted from the misconduct of the worker.4. You can lose your paid sick leave in certain casesArticle 20 of Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, lists out the specific instances when a worker loses his or her eligibility to apply for a paid sick leave:If the illness is a result of the worker’s misconduct such as the consumption of alcohol or use of drugs.If the worker violates the special safety instructions in accordance with the enforced legislation in the State, such as the instructions in relation with crisis and disasters or roads and traffic regulations or any safety procedures and controls determined in the establishment’s regulations, which the worker confirmed he or she is aware of, understands and is committed to adhering to.5. Your employer cannot dismiss you while you are on sick leaveAccording to Article 31 (5) of the UAE Labour Law, an employer may not dismiss an employee or give him a termination notice while the employee is on sick leave.If the employee uses all of his or her 90 days’ sick leave and has not been able to report to work afterwards, the employer may terminate his or her services. In such a case, the employee is entitled to the end-of-service benefits, in accordance with the UAE Labour Law and its implementing regulations.
