The bulk of employees in Oman are aware of their entitlement to annual leave, but few realise the Labour Law actually spells out various different types of leave, each with its own rules on duration, pay, and eligibility. This article will set out the different types of leave highlighted under the Labour Law of 2023, the calculations of entitlements for all employees, and the conditions attached to them.
Legal Basis
Oman’s leave entitlements are outlined in part 4 of the Labour Law of 2023 which contains a dedicated chapter spanning articles 77 to 84 titled “Leave”, covering everything from weekly rest to more specific categories.
Annual and Weekly Leave
Under article 77 of the Labour Law, employees have the right to weekly paid leave for no less than 2 consecutive days per week, which can not be forfeited even if an employee is absent from work, with or without a reason. However, the law does allow some flexibility in certain cases. For jobs and areas designated by the Minister of Labour, employers can combine the rest days and grant them in a single block rather than weekly, without reducing the total days owed. This scenario is typically found in cases where an employee works in a remote worksite or has a rotational schedule such as the 2-week on/2-week off system used in some oil companies. Beyond the weekly rest, subject to article 78, employees are guaranteed an annual leave of no less than 30 days, though, annual leave cannot be taken before an employee completes 6 months of service. If the annual leave is not utilised, the employee has the right to carry over the annual leave for an allowance not exceeding 30 days unless the reason the leave was not used was because of the interest of work, in which case, the 30-day cap does not apply, meaning they can carry over the full unused balance uncapped. In accordance with article 81, an employer can postpone leave, if the interest of work requires it, for no more than six months. Workers shall take leave at least once every two years for a period of no less than 30 days and the worker is entitled to the gross wage for his annual leave balance if his service ends before exhausting it.
Sick Leave
Every worker in Oman is entitled to sick leave, article 82 discusses sick leave and the conditions attached to it. Provided that illness is proven, workers are entitled to 182 days, though pay during this period is not fixed at one rate. Instead, it decreases the longer the leave continues. For the first 21 days, the worker will receive their full gross wage, it then drops to 75% from day 22 to day 35, from day 36 to 70 the gross wage drops to 50%, and finally, from day 71 to day 182 the gross wage drops to 35%. This structure means sick leave remains fully paid only for the first three weeks, after which the financial burden is gradually shared.
Maternity and Family-Related Leave
Among the ten categories of special leave listed in article 84, maternity leave is the most extensive, granting a female worker 98 days split between the period before and after delivery. Of the 98 days granted, a female worker is also entitled to 14 days leave to cover the period prior to childbirth, provided that a competent medical entity recommends it. In contrast, a male worker is permitted 7 days paternity leave at any time before the child reaches the age of 98 days and provided that the birth is successful. A worker is also entitled to 3 days leave in the event of their marriage. Additionally, a Omani worker is entitled to 15 days throughout the year to accompany a patient with whom he has a marital relationship or kinship up to the second degree. The Labour Law sets out several tiers of bereavement leave, scaled to the closeness of the relationship. A worker is entitled to 3 days leave for the death of a parent, grandparent, or sibling, and 2 days for the death of an aunt or uncle. A more significant loss, the death of a spouse, son, or daughter, carries 10 days of leave. Widowhood is treated separately, a Muslim woman is entitled to 130 days of leave following her husband’s death, reflecting the Islamic mourning period (iddah), while a non-Muslim woman is entitled to 14 days.
Conclusion
Beyond the leave types discussed above, the Labour Law also grants workers up to 15 days once during their service to perform Hajj, and Omani workers up to 15 days a year to sit exams while studying. Leave entitlements are largely the same regardless of nationality, though a handful of provisions, such as exam leave and the right to accompany a sick relative, are reserved for Omani workers specifically, while non-Omani workers receive an added benefit of their own, a return ticket to their home country during annual leave. It is worth noting, too, that these provisions don’t apply universally, categories such as government and defence personnel are governed by their own separate service laws rather than the Labour Law, meaning their leave entitlements sit outside this framework entirely. Taken together, these provisions reflect a leave system that is broad in scope but not without its carve-outs, one that balances a worker’s personal, religious, and family needs against the practical realities of the workplace.
It is highly recommended that you familiarise yourself with the full provisions of the Labour Law. You can read the complete text of the Labour Law at the link below:
