The document provides information on statutory leave policies in Qatar, including official public holidays, annual leave, sick leave, maternity leave, and Hajj leave. It outlines the number of days granted for each type of leave according to Qatar's Labor Law and answers frequently asked questions about leave policies. It also discusses payroll outsourcing services provided by HLB HAMT to assist with payroll processing in accordance with Qatar's regulations.

1. A Guide on Statutory leaves in Qatar
Leave policies are not the same for all countries. Hence, it is obvious for
employees to have doubts regarding the policies and their right to paid leaves.
Here we have covered in detail about the leave policy in Qatar.
Statutory Leaves
Under the Articles of Qatar Labor Law, workers shall be granted with following
leaves (as per the articles 78 to 85):
 Official Public holidays
 Annual leave
 Sick leave
 Maternity leave
 Hajj Leave
Official Public holidays
The following are the official leaves to be paid with full wages as specified in
Article 78:
 Three working days for Eid El-Fitr
 Three Working days for Eid Al-Adha
 One working day for Independence Day
 National Sports Day (second Tuesday in February)
Annual Leave:
According to Article 79 of the Qatar Labor law, a worker is entitled to the
following Annual leave:
1. Three weeks of annual leave,if the service tenure with the employee is
less than 5 years
2. Four Weeks of annual leave, if the service tenure with the employee is
more than 5 years

2. Frequently asked questions
1. Is annual leave in Qatar based on calendar days?
As per the general practice, employers award employees annual leave
based on the calendar days
2. Can the employer determine when the employee leave will be taken?
Employers shall determine the date of annual leave for their workers and
may divide the leave with the consent of the worker provided that the
division shall not be more than two periods. Article 80 says the employer
may on a written application of the worker postpone not more than half of
the annual leave to the year following the year of its entitlement.
3. Are public holidays considered to be part of annual leave?
Any public/national holidays shall not be counted as annual leave and shall
be entitled to full pay leave as specified in Article 75 of Qatar labor law.
4. Can employees claim payment for unutilized leaves during the
termination of the contract?
Article 81 of Qatar labor law allows the employee to claim their accrued
leave balance if he/ she leaves the employment without utilizing those
leaves.
5. Can an employee work for another employer during their annual
leave?
The worker shall not work for another employer while on annual or sick
leave provided for in Article 84. Where his employer establishes that he
has done so, he may deprive him of his wage for the duration of the leave
or recover any wages previously paid to him
6. Can an employer terminate an employee who is on leave?
No, employers cannot terminate the services of employees during any of
his periods of leave provided for in Article 85.
Sick Leave policy in the Qatar
Sick leave is granted for 12 weeks in the following rate:
 The first 2 weeks- Full pay
 The next 4 weeks- Half Pay
 For further 6 weeks- No Pay
As mentioned in Article 82, the sick leave will not be granted for an employee
who commences his engagement for the first three months.

3. See the following sample calculation simplifying the salary for an
employee taking sick leaves.
Frequently asked questions
1. Can an employee who is on probation take a paid sick leave?
As per Article 82, all workers who have fulfilled first three months of his/her
service are eligible for sick Leave.
2. Can an employer terminate an employee due to Illness or Temporary
disablement?
An employer cannot terminate an employee on account of illness prior to
availing him of the period designated for Sick leave as provide in the law.
The service of the worker may be terminated at the end of the twelfth week
of the sick leave if it has been proved by a report issued by the competent
physician that the worker is unable to resume his work at that time
3. What is the difference between sick leave unpaid and unpaid leave?
The days taken after 6 weeks are regarded as sick leave unpaid and are

4. different from unpaid leave. The days falling under this type of leave are
included when determining the service period of an employee. This leave
does NOT impact the calculation of gratuity, outstanding vacation, air ticket
payout or any other payroll accrual due to the employee.
Maternity Leave
A female employee working in Qatar shall be entitled to maternity leave as
stated below:
 Fully paid for fifty days
The provision for this leave is outlined in Article 96 and reads as follows.
“A working woman is entitled to maternity leave with full pay for a period
of 50 days provided that the continuous period of service with the
employer is for a complete year. Such Maternity leave shall include the
period before and after the delivery if the period following the delivery
shall not be less than 35 days. If the remaining period after delivery is
less than 35 days, the worker may be granted complimentary leave from
her annual Leave, otherwise, it is deemed to be unpaid leave.”
Frequently asked questions concerning maternity leave
1. Can an employee take extra leaves after exhaustion of her maternity
leave?
Yes, an employee on maternity leave can combine such with her
outstanding annual leave if she so wishes. She is also entitled to take extra
unpaid leave to a maximum of additional 60 days including 50 days of
Maternity Leave provided that a medical certificate of her medical condition
shall be produced from a licensed physician.
2. Is the period taken for unpaid maternity leave included while
determining the period of service?
Yes, this period taken as unpaid maternity leave is included while
determining the period of service and is counted while calculating gratuity
at the end of service.
3. Is a female employee entitled to any extra breaks post-delivery?
When a female resumes back to work, she shall be entitled additional

5. breaks not exceeding one hour a day to nurse her young baby. These
breaks are treated as part of her working hours and not part of the normal
break and can be taken during the first year after delivery.
Paternity leave
There is no statutory Law for paternity leave. However, some companies offer
paid leave according to their company guidelines.
Hajj Leaves
As per Article 83, a Muslim worker shall be entitled to leave without pay not
exceeding two weeks to fulfill his obligation during the period of his services.
Employees must be encouraged to take leaves once in a while, as it is
mandatory not just for the well-being of the employees, but for the
organization as well. On the organizational level, leaves help in improving
morale, productivity, employee retention and it also reduces the number of
unplanned absences from work.
For information on the payroll process in Qatar click on this link
Payroll Process in Qatar
The process of payroll is a little complicated and time-consuming; hence it is
always recommended to outsource your company’s payroll function.
Outsourcing payroll will ensure the assistance of a team of trained payroll
professionals and it frees up the time of the organization, helping them focus
on other projects that add value to their business.
One should be extra vigilant while selecting their payroll provider, as payroll
data is highly sensitive, and one should opt for a provider that can ensure high
levels of data security.

6. As a leading payroll outsourcing company, HLB HAMT can help solve your
payroll complexities through customized strategies. We take care of our
clients’ entire payroll cycle that includes preparation of payroll reports,
processing salary payment with WPS compliance, accrual management
including Gratuity, pension funds, an online portal for accessing payslips, and
many more. Our leadership team spends the necessary hours in every
project, ensuring our clients get refined consulting services to take your
business forward.
To know more about our payroll process, click here
Disclaimer:
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information,
HLB HAMT will not accept any liability arising out of errors or omissions.
Please note that this blog is not all-inclusive. Our guidance is designed only to
give general information on the issues/topics covered. It is subjected to
change and not intended to be a comprehensive summary of all laws which
may be applicable to your situation, treat exhaustively the subjects covered,
provide legal advice, or render a legal opinion.
Get Free Consultation

7. A Guide on Statutory leaves in Qatar
Level 18, City Tower-2,
Sheikh Zayed Road
PO Box 32665
Dubai – United Arab Emirates. Tel: +971 4 327 7775
E-mail: dubai@hlbhamt.com
www.hlbhamt.com