Sick Leave

Sick leave in the UAE private sector is a statutory entitlement of up to ninety days per year of service, available after probation, structured in descending pay tiers: an initial fully paid block, a half-paid block, then unpaid leave, in the proportions fixed by the Labour Law. The employee must notify the employer within the statutory window and provide a medical certificate from an approved provider. Two rules generate most disputes: an employer may not lawfully dismiss an employee for using sick leave within the entitlement, but may terminate one who exhausts the full ninety days without being able to return; and sickness caused by the employee's own misconduct can forfeit pay. Sick-leave records also intersect with work-injury claims, where a different and more protective compensation regime applies. Expect this issue in dismissal disputes, settlement audits, and HR policy drafting.