UAE labour law · sick leave

UAE sick leave pay calculator

Check the pay for this sick leave and how many days remain in the year. Your contract or your employer’s rules may give you more.

Estimate, not legal advice. This page covers full-time private-sector work under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021.

Basic salary plus allowances and any benefits included in your contractual wage. Leave this blank to see the days without estimating the amounts. If your contract or employer calculates leave pay on the basic salary, enter the basic salary to see that amount.
Count calendar days. Enter a whole number from 1 to 365.
Enter days from the same year as this leave. The law does not say whether this means a calendar year or a contract year; check how your employer applies it.
Your sick leave case

The safety rules must meet Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, Article 20, including being communicated and acknowledged. An authority report is required for the alcohol or drugs case.

Your employment

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Example

After probation, a full-time worker earning AED 9,000 a month takes 20 calendar days of sick leave, with no days already used this year. The first 15 days are paid in full and the next 5 at half wage.

Estimated sick leave pay

Estimated pay for this sick leave: AED 5,250.

Full wage: 15 days × AED 300 a day = AED 4,500 (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 31(3)(a)).

Half wage: 5 days × AED 150 a day = AED 750 (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 31(3)(b)).

Sick leave left in this year: 70 days out of the 90-day limit (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 31(3)).

our reading: add the days already used and this leave within the same year. Article 31(3) of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 says per year but does not say calendar year or contract year. Check your employer’s policy.

Daily wage: AED 300. This is our reading: total monthly wage divided by 30 (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Articles 1 and 67).

Tell your employer or their representative about the illness within 3 working days and provide a medical report from a medical entity (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 31(1)).

How this calculator works

  1. After probation, up to 90 calendar days of sick leave per year may be continuous or separate: the first 15 at full wage, the next 30 at half wage and the remaining 45 unpaid (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 31(3)).
  2. our reading: use the total wage, not only the basic salary. Article 1 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 defines wage as basic salary plus allowances and contractual benefits. The Arabic sick leave wording uses ⁨أجر⁩ rather than ⁨الأجر الأساسي⁩. We divide the monthly wage by 30 under Article 67.
  3. Your contract or the employer’s rules may provide more generous leave or pay. This estimate applies the statutory tiers to the days entered; it does not check your payroll or medical evidence.

Limits and other cases

  1. Work injuries are outside this sick leave calculation. Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 31(1), distinguishes illness from work injury.
  2. During probation there is no entitlement to paid sick leave; the employer may grant unpaid leave supported by a medical report (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 31(2)).
  3. Illness from misconduct or from violating applicable safety rules can mean unpaid sick leave, subject to the conditions in Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 31(4), and Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, Article 20.

Questions about UAE sick leave

How many paid sick leave days can I take in the UAE?
After probation, Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 31(3), provides up to 90 days per year: 15 at full wage, 30 at half wage and 45 unpaid. They may be continuous or separate.
Is sick leave paid during probation?
There is no entitlement to paid sick leave during probation. The employer may grant unpaid sick leave with a medical report confirming the need (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 31(2)).
Is sick leave pay based on basic salary or total wage?
Our reading uses the total wage: Article 1 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 defines wage as basic salary plus allowances and contractual benefits. Article 31 uses full or half wage. We divide the monthly total by 30 under Article 67.
What happens after 90 days of sick leave?
Further days are outside the sick leave in Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 31(3). If you cannot return after exhausting the leave, the employer may end your employment but must pay all financial entitlements under Article 31(5).
When should I notify my employer and provide a medical report?
Notify your employer or their representative within 3 working days of the illness and provide a medical report from a medical entity (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 31(1)).
Does the 90-day limit reset in January?
Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 31(3), says per year without specifying calendar year or contract year. Our reading applies the tiers within the same year. Check the year your employer uses before entering days already taken.

Sources and reading dates

Read on 13 October 2026; amendments checked on 14 October 2026 (Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2023 and No. 9 of 2024 change Articles 54 and 60 only).