Govt, private employees entitled for special leaves

All employees in the Sultanate of Oman, both types in public and private sectors, are entitled to special leaves, which have been guaranteed under the Labour and Social Protect laws.

Under these special leaves, female employees in the Sultanate of Oman are entitled to 98 days of maternity to cover the period before and after childbirth, as per Article 84 of the Royal Decree 53/2023 that issued the Labour Law.

According to the General Federation of Oman Workers (GFOW), the Ministry of Health has issued a circular to all health institutions in the Sultanate of Oman to facilitate female workers in the private sector to obtain proof of their entitlement to maternity leave for 98 days. The same procedure applies to male employees applying for paternity leave.

It may be noted that GFOW has been receiving complaints regarding institutions not accepting the provisions of special leaves.

The male worker is entitled to seven days of paternity leave provided that the child is born alive and that the leave does not exceed the 98th day of the age of the child.

It also grants leave to the female worker to cover the period before childbirth shall be on the recommendation of the competent medical entity and its period must not exceed 14 days, and the remainder of the period of this leave shall be granted from the date of childbirth.

Special leaves are also granted in the case of three days in the event of his marriage, three days in the event of the death of the father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, brother, or sister, two days in the event of the death of the paternal uncle or aunt or the maternal uncle or aunt, 10 days in the event of the death of the wife, a son, or a daughter.

FOR HAJ: 15 days are granted to perform Haj once throughout his service, provided that the worker has spent a continuous period of one year in the service of the employer.

Muslim female workers get 130 days in the event of the death of the husband and 14 days for the non-muslim woman; 15 days throughout the year for the Omani worker to accompany a patient with whom he has a marital relationship or a kinship up to the second degree.

To grant the leaves stipulated in this article it is required to submit proof of it.

Whoever violates the provisions of Article 84 shall be punished by a fine of no less than RO 100 and not exceeding RO 300. The punishment shall be cumulative according to the number of workers against which the violation is committed. The punishment shall be doubled upon repetition of the violation.