Leave Types in Saudi Labor Law: Legal Texts & Automated Management with Ektefa

Building a sustainable and productive work environment requires more than just efficient daily performance. It demands respect for employees’ rights to sufficient rest periods. The Saudi Labor Law represents an advanced legal framework. This system guarantees the worker’s right to various Leave Types in Saudi Labor Law. These leaves consider health, social, and personal circumstances. Providing these leaves boosts job satisfaction and enhances the quality of life.

The diversity of Leave Types in Saudi Labor Law creates an urgent need for organizations to automate these processes. Manual leave management can lead to costly errors. It may also cause labor disputes and procedural delays. Therefore, understanding the different leave types is the first step towards compliance and professionalism.

I. Periodic and Annual Leaves (The Fundamental Right)

These leaves are the cornerstone of any annual work plan. They represent a mandatory break to refresh the employees’ energy.

1. Annual Leave (Annual Leave)

A fundamental right for every worker aimed at rest and rejuvenation. This leave is a crucial element in maintaining the employee’s mental health.

Entitled Duration: Not less than twenty-one days for each year of service.
Duration Increase: The duration rises to thirty days if the worker has completed five consecutive years of service.
Legal Text (Article 109): “The worker is entitled to an annual leave of not less than twenty-one days, increasing to not less than thirty days if the worker has spent five consecutive years in the service of the employer.”
Pay and Timing: This Annual Leave is paid in advance. The employer must set its timing according to business needs. The worker must be notified at least thirty days in advance.

2. Public Holidays and National Occasions (Official Holiday)

These are fully paid leaves for all workers. Their duration and timing are determined based on official decisions issued by the competent authorities.

Eid Al-Fitr & Eid Al-Adha: Four days each.
Legal Text (Article 112): “The worker has the right to fully paid leave on the holidays and occasions determined by a decision of the Minister.” (Executive regulations and subsequent decisions specify official holidays details).
National Day & Founding Day: Fully paid holidays.

II. Leaves Related to Personal and Social Circumstances

These leaves are important for considering the human and social aspect of the worker. They are granted with full pay.

3. Marriage, Paternity, and Death Leaves (Occasion Leaves)

These leaves allow the worker to be present with their family during significant moments. The employer must grant these Leave Types in Saudi Labor Law.

Marriage Leave: The worker is entitled to five days with full pay.
Paternity Leave: The worker is entitled to three days with full pay upon the birth of a newborn.
Death Leave: The worker is entitled to five days with full pay in case of the death of a spouse, ascendant, or descendant.
Legal Text (Article 113): “The worker is entitled to fully paid leave for five days upon marriage, three days upon the birth of a newborn, and five days in the event of the death of his spouse, an ascendant, or a descendant. The employer may request supporting documentation for the aforementioned cases.” (Note that the Executive Regulations added 3 days for the death of a sibling).

4. Hajj Pilgrimage Leave

A spiritual opportunity for a Muslim that rarely repeats. The system grants it under specific conditions.

Duration: Ranging between ten and fifteen days with full pay.
Legal Text (Article 114): “The worker is entitled to fully paid leave for a period of not less than ten days and not more than fifteen days, to perform the Hajj pilgrimage once during his service if he has not performed it before. Entitlement to this leave is subject to the condition that the worker has completed at least two consecutive years in the employer’s service. The employer may determine the number of workers granted this leave annually, provided it does not affect the workflow.”
Eligibility Conditions: Granted only once during the service period. The worker must have completed at least two consecutive years of service.

5. Examination Leave (Study Leave)

In encouragement of education and development, this leave is granted to the worker pursuing studies. Careful management of this Annual Leave type is needed.

Legal Text (Article 115): “A worker who proves enrollment in an educational institution has the right to fully paid leave to sit for an examination for a non-repeated year, with the duration of the leave equal to the actual number of examination days. In case of the worker’s failure, he is obligated to pay the cost of the wages for the leave days obtained. If the examinations are for a repeated year, the worker has the right to unpaid leave for the actual number of examination days.”

III. Health and Female Worker Leaves

The system gives special importance to worker health and the rights of female workers. Managing Sick Leave requires high accuracy.

6. Sick Leave (Sick Leave)

Granted to the worker based on an approved medical report. This Sick Leave protects the worker from losing their income and job due to illness.

Legal Text (Article 117): “A worker who proves ill is entitled to sick leave with pay for the first thirty days, with three-quarters of the pay for the following sixty days, and without pay for the subsequent thirty days during one year, whether these leaves are continuous or intermittent. The term ‘one year’ means the year starting from the date of the first sick leave.”
Total Duration: The total duration of the approved Sick Leave reaches 120 days per year.

7. Maternity and Iddah Leave (Maternity Leave)

A fundamental right for the female worker to care for herself and her newborn. This leave ensures the stability of the female worker.

Legal Text (Article 151): “The female worker is entitled to fully paid maternity leave for ten weeks, to be distributed as she wishes; starting at a maximum of four weeks before the expected date of delivery, which shall be determined by a medical certificate attested by a health authority.”
Iddah Leave (Article 160): “A Muslim female worker whose husband passes away has the right to fully paid leave for a period of four months and ten days from the date of death. She has the right to extend this leave without pay if she is pregnant. A non-Muslim female worker whose husband passes away has the right to fully paid leave for fifteen days.”

IV. Exceptional Leaves (Unpaid Leaves)

These are leaves not mandated by the system but are subject to mutual agreement.

8. Unpaid Leave

The worker has the right to request it whenever necessary. Employer approval must be obtained. This type of Leave Types in Saudi Labor Law requires precise documentation.

Legal Text (Article 116): “With the employer’s approval, the worker may obtain unpaid leave, the duration of which is agreed upon by both parties. If the duration of the leave exceeds twenty days, the employment contract may be suspended, unless the two parties agree otherwise.”

How does ektefa ensure compliance in managing your organization’s leaves?

Manually managing this great variety of Leave Types in Saudi Labor Law is a major challenge. The process requires monitoring leave balances, complying with wage laws, and applying complex approval policies.

This is where ektefa, the cloud-based HR management system, steps in. Ektefa provides integrated solutions for smart and accurate leave management:

Precise Automatic Calculation: The ektefa system automatically adjusts and calculates the balance of Annual Leave, Sick Leave, and other Occasion Leaves. This is done strictly according to the texts of the updated Saudi Labor Law, ensuring full compliance.
Automated Leave Requests: Employees can submit their leave requests via the mobile application or the web portal. This includes the possibility of submitting requests retroactively. This greatly simplifies the approval cycle.
Flexible Approval Workflow: Ektefa allows you to design customized approval policies for each leave type. This aligns with your organization’s administrative structure. Direct managers can easily review and approve requests.
Integration with Payroll: Approved leave requests are automatically linked to the payroll system. This ensures that deductions or due wages are calculated accurately. This is essential for cases of Unpaid Leave or partial sick leaves.
Comprehensive Insight and Reports: Ektefa provides interactive reports and dashboards. These reports help you monitor the consumption of Leave Types in Saudi Labor Law. This data supports informed decision-making regarding HR planning.

With ektefa, managing Leave Types in Saudi Labor Law transforms from a complex administrative burden into a smooth, transparent, and reliable operation.

Conclusion: Leaves as a Pillar of Work

Saudi regulations and laws guarantee worker rights with complete clarity. Providing Leave Types in Saudi Labor Law is not just a legal obligation. It is a genuine investment in employee health, productivity, and loyalty to the organization. Organizations relying on technologies like ektefa (Ektefa) are more capable of managing these rights effectively. This reduces errors, and increases efficiency and transparency. Simplifying the management of Leave Types in Saudi Labor Law is the key to success. Ektefa is your gateway to HR professionalism.