Leave Policy (UAE)
LEAVE POLICY
[Company Name]
Effective Date: [Effective Date]
This Leave Policy is issued in accordance with Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (the UAE Labour Law) and Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022. No provision of this Policy may reduce the statutory leave entitlements set out in the Labour Law.
1. ANNUAL LEAVE
1.1 Entitlement: Every employee of [Company Name] is entitled to [Annual Leave Days] of paid annual leave per completed year of service under Article 29 of the Labour Law. Annual leave begins to accrue from the first day of employment at the rate of two calendar days per month during the first year.
1.2 Scheduling: Annual leave must be approved in advance by the line manager. Employees must submit a leave request to [HR Contact] at [HR Email] at least [Advance Notice] before the intended start date. The Company will approve or decline the request within 5 working days.
1.3 Carry-Over: [Carry-over Cap]. Untaken leave may not be carried forward without written approval. Accrued leave that cannot be taken due to operational requirements will be paid in cash on the employee's request or on termination, calculated on basic wage under Article 29.
1.4 Leave During Probation: An employee on probation may request to take accrued leave with the line manager's approval. Leave taken during probation counts against the annual entitlement for the relevant service year.
2. SICK LEAVE
2.1 Entitlement: After completing the probation period, every employee is entitled to up to 90 days of sick leave per year under Article 31 of the Labour Law: the first 15 days at full basic wage and allowances; the next 30 days at 50% of basic wage and allowances; and the remaining 45 days unpaid.
2.2 Medical Certificate: A medical certificate issued by a government hospital or a MOHRE-approved medical facility is required from the first day of sick leave. An employee who fails to produce a medical certificate within 3 working days may have the absence recorded as unpaid leave.
2.3 Notification: Employees must notify their line manager and [HR Email] as soon as possible on the first day of sick leave, or before the working day begins where reasonably practicable.
3. MATERNITY AND PATERNITY LEAVE
3.1 Maternity Leave: Under Article 30 of the Labour Law, female employees are entitled to 60 calendar days of maternity leave: the first 45 days at full pay and the remaining 15 days at half pay. Maternity leave may commence up to 30 days before the expected delivery date. Employees must notify HR in writing at least 4 weeks in advance where possible and provide a medical certificate confirming the expected delivery date.
3.2 Extended Maternity Leave: An employee may take an additional 45 days of unpaid leave after the 60-day paid period if her medical condition following childbirth requires it, supported by a medical certificate from an approved hospital.
3.3 Paternity Leave: Male employees are entitled to 5 working days of paid paternity leave under Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, to be taken within the 6 months following the birth of the child.
3.4 Parental Leave for Children with Disability or Chronic Illness: Either parent is entitled to 30 days of paid leave per year, extendable by a further 30 days unpaid, to care for a child with a disability or chronic illness under Article 32 of the Labour Law. Proof of the child's condition must be provided.
4. OTHER STATUTORY LEAVE
4.1 Bereavement Leave: Employees are entitled to 3 days of paid bereavement leave following the death of a spouse, parent, child, or sibling. 1 day of paid bereavement leave applies for the death of other first-degree relatives. Notification to HR and, where available, evidence of the family relationship are required.
4.2 Study Leave: Employees who have completed at least two years of continuous service are entitled to 10 working days per year to sit approved examinations under Article 32 of the Labour Law. Study leave must be supported by documentation from the educational institution and approved in advance by HR.
4.3 Hajj Leave: Muslim employees who have completed one year of continuous service are entitled to 30 days of unpaid Hajj leave. Hajj leave is available once per period of employment with [Company Name] and may not be combined with annual leave.
4.4 Public Holidays: Public holidays as announced each year by the UAE Cabinet are granted to all employees in addition to annual leave entitlements. Where an employee is required to work on a public holiday, the replacement leave and premium pay provisions in Article 19 of the Labour Law apply.
5. LEAVE REQUEST PROCESS AND RECORDS
5.1 Submission: All leave requests (except emergency sick leave and bereavement leave) must be submitted in writing to [HR Contact] at [HR Email] at least [Advance Notice] before the requested start date.
5.2 Records: [Company Name] maintains a leave register in accordance with its obligations under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 and MOHRE record-keeping requirements. Employees may request a statement of their leave balance at any time from [HR Email].
5.3 Disputes: Any dispute about leave entitlement or leave balance should first be raised through the Company Grievance Policy. If unresolved, employees may file a complaint with MOHRE (800-MOHRE / www.mohre.gov.ae) under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Employee Name: ___________________________
Employee Signature: _______________________ Date: _______________
Authorised for [Company Name]: _______________ Date: _______________
Employer (Authorised Signatory)
________________
Signature
Employee
________________
Signature
What Is a Leave Policy (UAE)?
A Leave Policy in the UAE is a formal written workplace document that consolidates every statutory leave entitlement available to private-sector employees under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (the UAE Labour Law) and Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, and specifies the procedural requirements for requesting, approving, recording, and paying out leave. The Leave Policy translates the minimum standards set by MOHRE (the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation) into an employer-specific document that employees can consult throughout their employment and that the employer can rely on in MOHRE mediations and Labour Court proceedings.
Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 replaced Federal Law No. 8 of 1980 with effect from 2 February 2022 and made significant improvements to leave entitlements. Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 extended those entitlements to new categories of workers — including part-time, temporary, flexible, and remote employees — on a pro-rata basis. A Leave Policy that was drafted under the old law may therefore omit entitlements that are now legally required. Employers operating under the current framework must ensure their policy covers all categories mandated by the new law.
The core leave entitlements addressed by the UAE Leave Policy are: annual leave of at least 30 calendar days per completed year of service under Article 29; sick leave of up to 90 days per year on a graduated full-pay, half-pay, and unpaid basis under Article 31; maternity leave of 60 calendar days (45 at full pay, 15 at half pay) under Article 30; paternity leave of 5 working days; parental leave of 30 days at full pay (plus 30 days unpaid) for parents of children with a disability or chronic illness; bereavement leave of 3 days for immediate family; study leave of 10 days for approved examinations under Article 32; Hajj leave of 30 days unpaid; and public holidays as announced by the Cabinet each year.
The Wages Protection System (WPS), established by Ministerial Decree No. 788 of 2009, intersects with leave in two important ways. First, the employer must continue to pay the employee's wage through WPS during paid leave periods; any interruption to the WPS record that corresponds to a period of paid leave (annual or sick leave) may trigger a MOHRE complaint. Second, accrued annual leave that is paid out on termination must be processed through WPS as part of the final settlement under Article 53 within 14 days of the last day of employment.
For employees in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the DIFC Employment Law No. 2 of 2019 provides broadly similar but not identical leave entitlements, with maternity leave set at 65 working days and disputes adjudicated by the DIFC Courts rather than MOHRE. In the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the ADGM Employment Regulations 2019 apply and ADGM Courts have jurisdiction. Employers with staff in both mainland and free-zone entities should use a Leave Policy that clearly identifies the applicable framework for each category of employee.
The forms-legal.com UAE Leave Policy template covers all statutory leave categories, the scheduling and approval process, carry-over rules, the notification procedure for sick and emergency leave, and the record-keeping obligation. Employers can adapt it for their specific operational needs and jurisdiction.
When Do You Need a Leave Policy (UAE)?
A UAE Leave Policy is needed at every stage of the employer-employee relationship and at several specific compliance checkpoints.
At onboarding, every new employee should receive and acknowledge the Leave Policy alongside the MOHRE-registered employment contract and the Employee Handbook. The MOHRE-registered contract records the agreed leave entitlement (minimum 30 calendar days under Article 29) but does not always specify the scheduling procedure, the advance-notice requirement, the medical certificate requirement for sick leave, or the carry-over rules. The Leave Policy fills those gaps and gives the employee a complete picture of their leave rights from day one.
At the start of each leave year, the Leave Policy provides the framework for the scheduling process. Employers who do not actively manage annual leave scheduling often find that employees have accumulated large carry-over balances or that too many employees try to take leave simultaneously during busy periods. A policy with a clear scheduling and advance-notice process — and a carry-over cap — allows the employer to plan operationally and reduces the risk of having to pay out large leave balances on termination.
When an employee is pregnant, the Leave Policy is the primary reference document for maternity leave. Article 30 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 requires 60 calendar days of maternity leave, and Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 added the 30-day hospitalised-newborn leave. An employer without a written Leave Policy risks applying inconsistent treatment to different employees, which can generate discrimination claims before MOHRE.
When an employee is absent due to illness, the Leave Policy governs the medical-certificate requirement, the notification procedure, and the transition from paid to unpaid sick leave. Without a written policy, disputes about whether an employee was on authorised sick leave or unauthorised absence are much harder to resolve in MOHRE proceedings.
On termination — whether by resignation, expiry of the fixed term, or employer-initiated termination — the Leave Policy determines how accrued but untaken annual leave is valued and paid. The 14-day settlement deadline under Article 53 of the Labour Law means the employer must have accurate leave records available immediately on termination. A Leave Policy with clear record-keeping obligations supports this process.
During MOHRE establishment audits under Article 66 of the Labour Law, inspectors review the employer's leave records and may ask whether employees have been taking their statutory annual leave. An employer with a written Leave Policy, a leave register, and evidence that approvals are processed consistently is significantly better positioned than one relying on informal arrangements.
What to Include in Your Leave Policy (UAE)
A UAE Leave Policy compliant with Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 and Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 must include the following elements. The forms-legal.com UAE Leave Policy template covers each one and can be adapted for mainland, DIFC, or ADGM employers.
Annual leave entitlement must state the number of days (minimum 30 calendar days per completed year under Article 29), the accrual rate (two days per month for the first year), the pro-rata arrangement for part-time employees, and the cash-payout obligation on termination. The policy should clarify whether the entitlement is stated in calendar days or working days and explain how the conversion is calculated.
Scheduling and advance notice must specify the minimum notice period for leave requests (typically 2 to 4 weeks), the submission method (email to the HR contact), the employer's response time (5 working days is standard), and the criteria for approving or deferring leave (operational requirements). The scheduling section should also address peak periods when leave is restricted or when advance booking is required.
Carry-over rules must state the maximum number of days that can be carried over to the following year, the approval requirement (written agreement with the line manager), and the treatment of any leave that cannot be carried over (payment in cash rather than forfeiture, consistent with Article 29). The policy should note that carry-over limits do not reduce the statutory minimum entitlement.
Sick leave entitlement must set out the Article 31 graduated scale: 15 days full pay, 30 days half pay, 45 days unpaid, totalling a maximum of 90 days per year after probation. The medical-certificate requirement, the approved medical facilities (government hospitals or MOHRE-approved private clinics), and the notification procedure must be stated.
Maternity and paternity leave must address the 60-day maternity entitlement under Article 30 (45 days full pay, 15 days half pay), the advance-notice and medical-certificate requirements, the option for 45 additional days of unpaid maternity leave, the 5-day paternity entitlement, and the 30-day parental leave for children with disability or chronic illness.
Bereavement, study, and Hajj leave must each be addressed separately with the entitlement period, the documentation requirements, and the notification procedure. Public holidays should be listed as an additional entitlement separate from annual leave.
Record-keeping must state how the employer maintains the leave register, how employees can check their leave balance, and the connection between the leave record and the final settlement calculation under Article 53.
HR contact and dispute resolution must identify the HR contact for leave requests and disputes, reference the Grievance Policy for unresolved disputes, and state the employee's right to file a complaint with MOHRE (800-MOHRE / www.mohre.gov.ae) under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021.
How to Fill Out Your Leave Policy (UAE)
Completing the UAE Leave Policy template requires the employer to make deliberate choices about entitlements above the statutory minimum and about the operational procedures that govern day-to-day leave management.
Start with the Company Details section. Enter the legal name of the employing entity, the effective date of the policy (which should be the same as or consistent with the MOHRE-registered employment contracts already in use), and the HR contact name and email for leave requests. The HR email must be actively monitored and must respond to requests within the 5-working-day commitment stated in the policy.
Select the annual leave entitlement in the Leave Terms section. The statutory minimum is 30 calendar days. Many UAE employers elect to offer 25 working days instead; in a five-day working week, 25 working days is approximately 35 calendar days, which exceeds the statutory minimum. In a six-day working week, 25 working days converts to approximately 30 calendar days, matching the statutory minimum. Confirm which calculation applies before selecting the entitlement figure.
Select the advance-notice period for annual leave. Two weeks is a common minimum for operational and team-planning purposes. Four weeks is appropriate for roles where cover is harder to arrange. The period should be realistic: an advance-notice requirement that employees routinely cannot meet will be ignored and will undermine the policy's effectiveness.
Select the carry-over cap. No carry-over without written approval is the most common approach for employers in customer-facing industries where leave scheduling is tightly managed. A cap of 15 days with manager approval is appropriate for professional-service firms where some year-end surge is common. The cap selected must be genuinely enforced and should be noted in the leave register.
Review the sick-leave, maternity, paternity, and other statutory leave sections. These are substantive legal obligations under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 and Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 and cannot be reduced. Confirm that the medical-certificate requirement specifies approved facilities (government hospitals or MOHRE-approved clinics) to avoid disputes about the validity of certificates from unapproved sources.
Distribute the completed policy to all employees, collect signed acknowledgments on Day 1, and file them in personnel records. For existing employees receiving a new version, give two weeks' advance notice of the effective date and collect updated acknowledgments.
Legal Requirements for Leave Policy (UAE)
Leave Policy (UAE) — Legal Requirements. The UAE Leave Policy is grounded in Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (the UAE Labour Law) and Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022. These instruments set the minimum leave entitlements that no employment contract or workplace policy may reduce.
Article 29 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 sets the annual leave minimum at 30 calendar days per completed year. Article 31 sets the sick-leave structure at 15 days full pay, 30 days half pay, and 45 days unpaid per year after probation. Article 30 provides 60 calendar days of maternity leave. Article 32 addresses bereavement, study, and Hajj leave. Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 introduced paternity leave (5 working days), parental leave for children with disability (30 days at full pay plus 30 days unpaid), and pro-rata entitlements for part-time and flexible workers.
Ministerial Decree No. 788 of 2009 governs the Wages Protection System and requires that all paid leave periods be reflected in WPS salary records. Article 53 of the Labour Law requires all final entitlements, including accrued leave cash value, to be settled within 14 days of the last working day.
Cabinet Resolution No. 8 of 2016 is relevant where sick leave follows a workplace injury; in that case the occupational health and safety notification obligations to MOHRE are also triggered.
For DIFC employees, the DIFC Employment Law No. 2 of 2019 provides 65 working days of maternity leave and disputes go to the DIFC Courts rather than MOHRE. For ADGM employees, the ADGM Employment Regulations 2019 apply with the ADGM Courts as the competent forum. Mainland disputes are first referred to MOHRE for amicable settlement and then to the competent Federal or local Labour Court.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Your Leave Policy (UAE)
UAE Leave Policy — Common Mistakes That Create Legal Exposure.
1. Stating leave in working days without clarifying the conversion. An entitlement of '25 working days' in a six-day working week may equal exactly 30 calendar days, which is the statutory minimum. In a five-day working week, 25 working days equals approximately 35 calendar days, which exceeds the minimum. The policy should state clearly whether entitlement is in calendar days or working days and how public holidays are counted.
2. Requiring an unapproved medical certificate for sick leave. If the policy requires certificates only from government hospitals and an employee submits a certificate from an approved private clinic, rejecting it may constitute a failure to recognise a legitimate sick-leave entitlement. State 'government hospital or MOHRE-approved medical facility' to cover both categories.
3. Implementing a forfeiture rule for untaken leave. A policy that purports to extinguish accrued leave at year-end without payment is likely unenforceable under Article 29, which requires cash payment of untaken leave on termination. The policy should state that untaken leave is paid out, not forfeited.
4. Omitting paternity and parental leave. Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 introduced a 5-day paid paternity entitlement and a 30-day parental entitlement for parents of children with disability or chronic illness. Employers who use a Leave Policy drafted before 2022 may have missed these additions.
5. Failing to update the WPS record during paid leave. Paid sick leave and paid maternity leave must continue to be reflected in WPS salary payments. A MOHRE audit that finds WPS gaps during periods the employee was on authorised paid leave will trigger a non-compliance finding.
6. Not maintaining a leave register. Without accurate leave records, the employer cannot calculate the final leave payout under Article 53 within the 14-day deadline, and cannot defend a MOHRE complaint that the employee was denied annual leave.
7. Applying the mainland MOHRE leave framework to DIFC employees. DIFC maternity leave is 65 working days rather than the mainland 60 calendar days, and applying the mainland standard to a DIFC employee results in an underpayment of the statutory entitlement.
Cite this page
Reference this free template in an article, syllabus, or research note:
Forms Legal. (2026). Leave Policy (UAE) (United Arab Emirates) [Legal document template]. Forms Legal. https://forms-legal.com/uae/employment/hr-forms/leave-policy-uae
"Leave Policy (UAE) (United Arab Emirates)." Forms Legal, 2026, https://forms-legal.com/uae/employment/hr-forms/leave-policy-uae.
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title = {Leave Policy (UAE) (United Arab Emirates)},
year = {2026},
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note = {Free legal document template. Based on Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (UAE Labour Law)}
}Frequently Asked Questions
Article 29 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (the UAE Labour Law) entitles every full-time private-sector employee to a minimum of 30 calendar days of paid annual leave for each completed year of service. For service between six months and one year, the employee is entitled to two calendar days of leave for each month worked. Leave begins to accrue from the first day of employment.
Leave is paid at the employee's full wage, including basic salary and allowances. On termination, accrued but untaken annual leave must be paid in cash, calculated on basic wage under Article 29. The employer determines the timing of leave according to operational requirements, but must allow the employee to take at least part of the annual leave within the year in which it accrues. Carrying forward leave beyond the leave year requires written agreement.
Part-time employees and employees on flexible or remote work arrangements under Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 accrue annual leave on a pro-rata basis calculated on the actual hours worked. Public holidays announced by the UAE Cabinet each year are in addition to the 30-day annual-leave entitlement. Where the employer offers more than 30 calendar days — for example, 25 working days in a five-day week (which may calculate to between 30 and 35 calendar days) — the more generous entitlement applies and the statutory minimum is a floor, not a cap.
Article 31 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 provides that private-sector employees in mainland UAE are entitled to up to 90 days of sick leave per year once they have completed the probation period. The entitlement is graduated: the first 15 days are at full pay (basic salary and allowances); the next 30 days are at half pay; and the final 45 days are unpaid. An employee who has not completed probation has no statutory sick-leave entitlement, though the employer may choose to grant it.
A medical certificate from a government hospital or a MOHRE-approved medical facility is required from the first day of absence. Certificates from unapproved private clinics may not be accepted by the employer or MOHRE. The employee must notify the employer as soon as possible on the first day of absence.
Sick leave taken on fabricated grounds — that is, where the employee is not genuinely ill — constitutes misconduct under Article 44 of the Labour Law if supported by evidence, and may justify summary dismissal in serious cases. Employers should apply the requirement for an approved medical certificate consistently to all employees to avoid discrimination claims. For employees in the DIFC, the DIFC Employment Law No. 2 of 2019 provides broadly similar sick-leave provisions administered by the DIFC Courts rather than MOHRE.
Article 30 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 entitles female private-sector employees in mainland UAE to 60 calendar days of maternity leave: the first 45 days at full pay (basic salary and allowances) and the remaining 15 days at half pay. Maternity leave may commence up to 30 days before the expected delivery date, and the employee should provide a medical certificate confirming the expected date as far in advance as possible.
After the 60-day paid period, an employee may take an additional 45 days of unpaid maternity leave if her medical condition following childbirth requires it. During maternity leave, the employment contract continues and the employer may not dismiss the employee on the ground of pregnancy or maternity leave. An attempt to do so would constitute an arbitrary dismissal under Article 47 of the Labour Law.
For female employees who have a newborn child requiring care in a medical facility, Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 introduced an entitlement to a further 30 days of paid leave, extendable by 30 days unpaid, while the child remains hospitalised. Employees in the DIFC are governed by the DIFC Employment Law No. 2 of 2019, which provides for 65 working days of maternity leave and is therefore somewhat more generous than the mainland provision. ADGM employees are covered by the ADGM Employment Regulations 2019.
Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 does not automatically allow carry-over of annual leave from one year to the next. The employer determines when leave is taken based on operational requirements, and the law requires that at least part of the annual leave is taken within the year in which it accrues. Any carry-over of the balance beyond the leave year must be agreed in writing between the employer and the employee.
Where an employee is unable to take annual leave because the employer refused approval for operational reasons, the employer should compensate the employee for the untaken leave at the earliest opportunity in the following year or pay it in cash. Withholding leave payment on termination, or failing to pay accrued leave on the ground that the employee 'chose' not to take it when the employer's policies made it impractical to do so, is challengeable before MOHRE.
From the employer's perspective, allowing unlimited carry-over creates a growing liability on the balance sheet. A Leave Policy that caps carry-over at a defined number of days (for example, 15 days with manager approval) balances operational flexibility with financial predictability. The cap must be stated clearly in the written Leave Policy and acknowledged by employees. Where the employer sets a carry-over cap that results in forfeiture of earned leave, MOHRE may treat the forfeiture as an unlawful reduction of statutory entitlements if the employee was prevented from taking the leave by operational requirements.
The UAE Cabinet announces the official public holiday calendar for each year, and private-sector employees are entitled to paid leave on those days in addition to their annual leave entitlement under Article 29 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. The regular public holidays in the UAE are: New Year's Day (1 January), Eid Al Fitr (typically 2 to 3 days), Arafat Day and Eid Al Adha (typically 3 days), Islamic New Year (Hijri New Year), Prophet's Birthday (Mawlid Al Nabawi), Commemoration Day (1 December), and UAE National Day (2 to 3 December). The exact dates for the Islamic holidays vary each year according to the lunar calendar, and the Cabinet announces them in advance.
Where an employee is required to work on a public holiday, Article 19 of the Labour Law entitles them to a replacement rest day and an additional 50% of basic hourly wage, or — where no replacement day is available — a premium of 150% of basic hourly wage for the hours worked. This calculation mirrors the overtime rules for night work and weekly rest days.
Free-zone employees in the DIFC and ADGM receive public holidays on the same gazetted days as mainland employees. Some free-zone employers offer an additional day or more of holiday for local festive or operational reasons; these additional days are contractual, not statutory, and should be stated in the employment contract and the Leave Policy.
Hajj leave is a statutory entitlement for Muslim employees in the UAE under Article 32 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. The entitlement is 30 calendar days of unpaid leave to perform the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. The leave is available once per period of employment with the same employer, meaning an employee who has taken Hajj leave with one employer retains the entitlement if they move to a new employer.
Hajj leave is available to an employee who has completed at least one year of continuous service. The employee must apply in advance (typically by submitting a leave request at least 4 to 6 weeks before the intended travel date) and confirm the Hajj period to HR. The leave is unpaid, so the employee should plan financially for the period without salary.
Hajj leave may not be combined with annual leave under Article 29 to extend the paid portion of the trip. The 30-day period runs from the departure date and the employee is expected to return on or before the 30th day. Late return without approval is recorded as unauthorised absence, which is misconduct under Article 44 of the Labour Law. Employers should include a clear Hajj leave clause in the Leave Policy, state the advance-notice requirement, and confirm that the leave is unpaid, to avoid misunderstandings about the financial impact on the employee's monthly WPS payment.
Article 29 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 gives the employer the right to determine the timing of annual leave according to operational requirements. An employer may decline a specific leave request and ask the employee to reschedule to a less busy period. However, the employer's right to manage leave scheduling is not unlimited. The law requires that at least part of the annual leave is taken within the year in which it accrues, and consistently refusing all leave requests results in accrued leave that must be paid in cash on termination.
An employer who refuses leave requests so frequently that employees accumulate large leave balances is creating a financial liability. MOHRE mediators and the Labour Courts are likely to treat a refusal to allow any annual leave as a breach of the employer's obligations under Article 29, entitling the employee to damages or the cash value of the accrued leave.
Best practice is to establish a leave-scheduling process: require employees to submit requests with sufficient advance notice (the Leave Policy states the minimum notice period), review operational capacity, approve or reschedule within a defined time, and ensure every employee takes at least 15 to 20 calendar days of leave within the calendar year. The forms-legal.com UAE Leave Policy template provides a structured process with minimum notice requirements, carry-over limits, and an HR escalation path that balances the employer's scheduling rights with the employee's statutory entitlement.
This template is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change over time. Consult a qualified attorney for advice specific to your situation.Full disclaimer
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