Leave Guidelines
A. General Provisions:
- Employees must follow the procedures on leave applications.
- Employees are expected to adhere to the approved leave plan.
- Leave is based on calendar days.
- An employee is not entitled to any earned leave credits during periods of unpaid leave.
- Management reserves the right to fix the date of the vacation/annual leave, as dictated by the business requirements.
B. Categories of Leave:
1. Vacation / Annual Leave:
An employee who has completed one continuous year in the service shall be entitled to leave with pay.
a. Three (3) weeks or 21 calendar days for less than 5 years in service.
b. Four (4) weeks or 28 calendar days for more than 5 years in service.
An employee on a probation period who files for an unpaid leave, the probation period will be extended - equivalent to the number of leave days approved, however, the probation period should not exceed 6 months.
2. Sick Leave:
The employee is entitled to sick leave with pay after completion of 3 months of service. The Employee shall be paid his full salary if the sick leave does not exceed two (2) weeks. If the sick leave extends thereafter, the employee shall be paid half of his salary for another four (4) weeks. The extension of the leave beyond the four (4) weeks extension shall be without pay until the employee resumes his work or resigns or his service is terminated for health reasons.
The service of the employee may be terminated on the twelfth (12) week of the sick leave if it has been proven by a report issued by a competent physician that the employee is unable to resume his work at that time. (Article 82 of the Qatar Labor Law)
3. Casual / Local Leave: Three (3) working days
a. The employee is entitled to leave after passing the probation period, on pro-rata basis.
b. The leave can be availed, as may be specified by the employer.
c. The leave cannot be taken on consecutive days and as part of the vacation leave.
4. Maternity Leave:
A female employee who has been employed for a complete year shall be entitled to a maternity leave with full pay for a period of fifty (50) days. This leave shall be granted subject to the medical certificate issued by a licensed physician stating the probable date of delivery. (Article 96 of the Qatar labor Law)
5. Haj / Umrah Pilgrimage Leave:
A Muslim employee may be entitled to leave without pay, not exceeding two weeks or 14 calendar days to fulfill his obligation to go to pilgrimage once during the period of his service.
6. Special Leave:
a. Compassionate leave – 3 days: To mourn for death in the employee’s immediate family (i.e. spouse, children, parent, brother or sister).
b. New Birth Leave - 3 Days: To provide spouse with maternity support for new born.
7. Public Holidays:
The employees shall be entitled to a yearly holiday with full pay as follows:
a. Three (3) working days for Eid-El-Fitr.
b. Three (3) working days for Eid-Al-Adha.
c. One (1) working day for Qatar National Day.
d. National Sports Day – every second Tuesday of February (Emiri Decision No.80, 2011).
Any public holiday that falls in between the approved leave period, will be paid separately, and will not be accounted for as part of the total leave days.